Timeless 3
by jakesgirl1001
Summary: Part 3 in the 18 part timeless story of Sam and Jake.
1. Chapter 1

**TIMELESS 3**

**Chapter 1**

"Have you heard from Kit?" Sam asked Jake on the first day of school.

"Some," Jake told her. "He's doing pretty well. He won his first rodeo last weekend."

Sam couldn't help the smile. "Was your Mom happy?"

"Nah," Jake shook his head. "She worries. He caught his spur in the riggin' and pulled his knee."

Sam put her hand to her mouth.

"He's okay though," Jake assured her. "He's ridin' this weekend."

"He's the only famous person I know," Sam said.

Jake snorted.

"He's hardly famous," Jake told her.

"He is to me," Sam crossed her arms over her chest, making Jake smile.

They heard the bus coming and both picked their backpacks up off the ground and slung them over their shoulders.

"It's weird that Quinn and Bryan aren't here," Sam commented.

"Feels good," Jake grinned.

"I miss them," Sam frowned.

"You and every other girl in the school," Jake teased as he got on the bus.

Sam tried to push past him to get to the seat first, but Jake was stronger and he got the window seat in the back. Sam squeezed in next to him on the aisle.

"That's not fair," Sam complained. "You're bigger than me."

"Think of it this way, Brat," Jake looked down at her. "Next year I won't be here so you can have the seat to yourself."

Sam gasped, her eyes filling immediately with wet tears. She didn't want to think of going to school without Jake there. Just the thought of it made her tear up.

Jake saw her tears.

"What's wrong?"

"That was a mean thing to say," Sam blubbered.

"It's the truth," Jake shrugged.

Sam hit him. "It's mean."

Jake rubbed his arm, wondering why she was so upset at what he had said. It was the truth. This would be his last year in elementary school.

"Settle down, Sam," Jake told her, watching as she wiped her tears. "It's not like I'm disappearing off the face of the earth."

"Just out of school," Sam sniffled.

"So what?" Jake said. "It's not like we hang around at school."

"No," Sam murmured.

"Then what's the problem?" Jake wondered.

"Who's going to protect the blonds?" Sam asked him.

Jake's jaw almost dropped. He fought it, tightening the muscles in his jaw to keep it closed. In the end he just burst out laughing.

Sam giggled and their eyes met as they laughed.

"Maybe they'll leave you alone since I won't be there to protect them," Jake pointed out, his dark brown eyes lively in his face. They reminded Sam of wild mustang eyes.

Sam doubted it. She knew she had at least one person who disliked her. The curly haired blond who Quinn had broken up with because she had harassed Sam and tripped her, came to mind.

Jake saw the emotions pass over Sam's face and again he wondered at them.

"I'll still miss you," Sam looked up at him, her brown eyes huge in her face.

"I live next door," Jake reminded her.

"Five miles away," Sam said.

"So don't we see each other after school?" Jake asked.

"Sometimes," Sam murmured.

Jake shook his head, getting exasperated with her.

"Someone remind me why I stopped that day you were by the river," Jake grumbled, standing up when the bus stopped at the curb. He moved down the aisle, not seeing the shocked look on Sam's face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sam went into the school, past Jake where he was saying hello to his friend Darrell. Darrell looked at her as she passed by.

"She's getting cute," Darrell said to Jake.

"Who?" Jake looked first at Darrell, then looked around for whomever it was Darrell was talking about.

"Your little girlfriend," Darrell told him.

Jake groaned to himself. "She's not my girlfriend."

"I wonder if she'll be mine then," Darrell murmured.

"What?" Jake yelped.

"Well if you don't want her as a girlfriend…," Darrell mused.

"Oh for," Jake said disgustingly and started towards their sixth grade class.

"I figure I better put my claim on her now before anyone else does," Darrell reasoned.

Something similar that one of his brothers had said once ran through Jake's mind. He had thought it had been Kit who had stated that anyone interested in Samantha should stake a claim early. Kit had thought Sam would draw a lot of attention from boys once she grew up.

Now Darrell's statement made him wonder. He watched Sam as she waved and joined her friend Ann outside the fourth grade classroom. Her hair looked dark inside the building. Jake knew how it glowed reddish-brown when she was in the sun, just like his old horse George did.

Jake noticed that Sam glanced his way once. She gave him a tentative smile before going into her classroom. Jake could tell she was nervous.

"Did you see she looked at me?" Darrell's voice broke though Jake's thoughts.

"Did she?" Jake asked going into his class.

"Of course she did," Darrell told him. "Just before she went into her classroom."

Jake's mouth twitched. He knew Sam had been looking at him, not Darrell. Then Jake sobered. Could Sam have been looking at Darrell and not him?

"What's the matter, Jake?" Darrell wondered as Jake slid into a seat.

"Nothin'," Jake told him. Like he'd tell Darrell!

During lunch, Jake was walking with Darrell and some of their friends to the table they usually sat and ate at.

"Hi Jake," he heard his name.

Jake looked to see who was talking to him and couldn't help but notice some of Quinn's and Bryan's harem were looking at him and smiling. Jake turned away again quickly. He heard Darrell's snort.

"Do they think that you're interested now that you're the only Ely left in school?" Darrell asked.

Jake only shrugged. He sat down and felt himself being stared at. Jake looked up again to see the girls looking at him again and still smiling. A couple of them played with the ends of their hair. Jake looked away and concentrated on his lunch.

"Well, now's the time to claim yourself some girlfriends, Jake," Henry, one of their friends told him.

Jake glared at him.

"I think Jake's already got himself a girlfriend," Frank said with a smirk.

"Oh? Who's that?" Jake wondered.

"The little neighbor girl," Frank responded, nodding towards where Sam was coming down the aisle with a container of chocolate milk. Her eyes met Jake's briefly before they both looked away.

"She's not my girlfriend," Jake insisted with a sigh. "She's just a tagalong neighbor kid."

"Then she's mine," Henry joked. "I'll start putting the moves on her during recess."

Jake's head snapped up and Henry paled at the murderous look in Jake's eyes.

"Or not," Henry murmured.

"Just leave her alone," Jake warned them all.

"Yeah, you don't wanna mess with that one," Darrell laughed, hoping to defuse the tension. "She hits."

Jake's mouth twitched at the understatement by Darrell. "Blame Quinn."

"Why's that?" Michael, another friend asked.

"He's the one who taught her," Jake said, taking a bite of his sandwich. "She always hit, but he instructed on how to do it right. Now she'll hurt you when she hits."

"Ask Stanley and James," Darrell laughed. Jake snorted. Those were the guys Sam had gone after when they had lifted her skirt last year. Jake had _talked_ to Stanley afterwards, giving him a sample of what would happen to him if Stanley ever bothered Sam again. As far as he knew, Stanley hadn't even looked at Samantha again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sam ran after Ann across the playground. The two friends were laughing. A new girl that they had just met chased after Sam. Her name was Linda and she had bright red hair. She sat behind Ann in their class and they had started talking.

Sam had seen Ann talking with the new girl and they had gone to lunch together. Linda lived in the city but she said she liked horses. That made her okay in Sam's book.

Now they played tag in the Nevada sun. Sam managed to tag Ann and spun away from her, avoiding getting tagged right back. As Sam turned her back on Ann, she heard Ann cry out.

Sam turned back around to see Ann sprawled on the hard ground and fighting tears. Linda ran up to see how her new friend was. Sam looked at the girl who was walking away, smirking over her shoulder. Daisy.

With almost a growl, Sam launched herself towards her nemesis. Just before Sam reached her, she felt the strong arms wrap around her chest, bringing her feet off the ground. Sam fought against Jake.

"Do you want to get grounded again?" Jake hissed in her ear. "I'm telling you Brat, your father will ground you longer this time."

"She tripped Ann," Sam hissed back.

"I know, I saw it," Jake kept moving in the opposite direction. "You can't fight everyone who is mean to you."

"Why not?" Sam snapped. "You do."

"I'm a guy," Jake responded.

"So what?" Sam wondered.

Jake didn't let her down until Sam sighed and nodded.

"Just ignore her," Jake told her. "She wants to get you in trouble."

Sam fumed. Jake watched her as she worked through her anger. Finally she nodded, her brown eyes meeting Jake's darker ones. Jake gave her a nod and Sam wandered back to where Ann and Linda were.

"That one is feisty," Darrell came up behind Jake.

"It's going to get her into trouble," Jake predicted.

"You sure rushed to her rescue," Frank said.

Jake gave him a look and Frank backed up a step. Frank glanced at Darrell who warned Frank with his eyes not to tease Jake right now.

"Are you okay, Ann?" Sam asked her friend.

"I skinned my knee," Ann told her and Sam saw then that Ann had one leg of her jeans pulled up. Sam saw the scrape on the skin. It looked similar to the one she had gotten once when she and Jake had been playing. It wasn't bleeding, but it was raw looking.

"Did Daisy trip you?" Sam wondered.

Ann nodded.

"Do you want to tell a teacher?" Linda asked.

Sam and Ann met each others' eyes.

"No," Ann shook her head.

"Ann dear, are you all right?" one of the teachers supervising the recess had come up.

"Yes ma'am," Ann nodded, pulling down the leg of her jeans. "I fell and scraped my knee."

"Do you need to see the nurse?" the teacher asked.

Ann shook her head.

Sam looked over the playground, her eyes narrowing as she saw Daisy with her friends. The other girl had a smug look on her face. Sam would have liked nothing more than to wipe that smirk off the other girl's face.

Her eyes drifted towards where Jake was with his friends. Their eyes met across the play yard. Jake was warning her with his eyes not to do anything rash. Sam sighed again and gave him a slight nod.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"What can I do?" Sam asked Jake on the way home that afternoon.

"I dunno, but you can't punch her out," Jake responded.

"She's just going to keep doing it," Sam pointed out.

"Maybe if you don't respond, she'll get bored," Jake shrugged.

Sam barked out a laugh. "Yeah right."

"If you keep fighting, you dad is going to ground you," Jake said. "If you keep fighting, he might blame us and not let you hang out with us anymore."

That got Sam's attention. She looked up at Jake. She would hate it if she couldn't be his friend anymore. Jake was her best friend.

"So what homework did you get today?" Jake asked, changing the subject.

"English and math," Sam frowned. "We started division and I don't get it."

"Division is just the opposite of multiplication," Jake said sensibly.

"Duh!"

Jake snorted.

"I didn't get multiplication either," Sam reminded him.

"That's true," Jake laughed and flinched when she punched his arm.

Jake gave her a playful shove and they started pushing and shoving each other as they ran. They were laughing as they went.

"Do you want to go riding later?" Jake asked.

"If I can," Sam answered.

"I'll call you after my chores are done," Jake said.

"Okay," Sam responded.

"I may even help you with your division," Jake raised an eyebrow with a laugh.

"And lord it over me forever," Sam rolled her eyes.

"'Course," Jake laughed, heading towards Three Ponies as Sam made the turn for River Bend.

"Is that you Samantha?" Gram asked from her room when she heard the front door slam.

"Yes, Gram," Sam yelled back.

"How was school, dear?" Gram came into the kitchen.

"Fine," Sam sat at the table.

Gram put a plate of cookies on the table and poured Sam a glass of milk.

"Did you meet anyone new to be friends with?" Gram wondered.

"A girl named Linda," Sam told her.

"That's nice," Gram smiled at her. "How's your friend Ann?"

"A bully tripped her today," Sam's voice sounded angry.

"Lands!" Gram looked down at Sam.

"I wanted to hurt the person but Jake stopped me," Sam said.

"What do you mean hurt them?" Gram asked.

"Hit them," Sam clarified. "They hurt my friend."

"Jake's right, Samantha," Gram told her. "You shouldn't fight. Tell one of the teachers and let them take care of it. Violence never solved anything."

Sam wondered. She sure would feel better if she was able to punch out Daisy. She didn't say that though. Sam remembered Jake telling her never to confess that sort of thing to an adult.

"Jake wants to go riding later," Sam popped the last piece of cookie in her mouth and finished her milk.

"How much homework do you have?" Gram asked.

"English and math," Sam sighed as she stood up.

"You better get your chores done before you go anywhere," Gram said. "Then you buckle down after dinner and do your homework."

"Yes, Gram," Sam responded, running up the stairs to her room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Let me know what you get on your math test today," Jake told Sam as they arrived at school the next day.

Sam sighed. "Can you sneak in and take my test for me?" She was only half teasing.

Jake just laughed. Sam punched his arm.

"Careful, Brat," he teased. "You'll get suspended."

"You won't turn me in for hitting you," Sam told him smugly.

"Says who?" Jake asked with a laugh and ran down the hallway away from her.

"I'll tell your brothers," Sam shouted after him. She heard his laughter as she lost sight of him.

"Who is that?" Linda came up behind her.

Sam sighed. "My friend Jake."

"He's cute," Linda said dreamily.

"I think he's cute too," Ann stated as the three of them stood near the doorway leading to their fourth grade class. "He doesn't notice girls though."

"No?" Linda was surprised. "Does he like girls?"

Sam took offense to the question. "Jake likes horses." Her tone was standoffish.

"I could learn to like horses if he noticed me," Linda said.

"I thought you said you liked horses," Ann responded.

"I do," Linda shrugged. "I don't know much about them besides they are big and they poop a lot."

Sam's jaw dropped. Her eyes met Ann's. Ann was fighting laughter. Sam swallowed a giggle.

"They do," Linda insisted.

"Yeah they do," Ann agreed as she laughed.

"So do you think he'll like me?" Linda asked.

Just like that, Sam lost her laughter. Ann saw it.

"No," Ann said to Linda. "Jake only likes Sam."

Linda swung her head to look at Sam, who shrugged. "I've known him since I was four. We're friends."

"Just friends?" Linda wondered.

Sam nodded as Ann shook her head behind her. Linda caught Ann's eye and Ann shook her head again.

"We'll have to see," Linda mused as the girls went into their class as the bell rang.

Sam gave Linda a glance.

"Well you're just friends," Linda pointed out. "He's a sixth grader. I like older men."

Sam rolled her eyes before she sat down. Ann saw it and snorted.

During recess, Linda strolled over to where Jake and his friends were throwing a football. Sam watched from the side of the playground. Would Jake notice Linda? Sam wondered.

Linda twirled her bright red hair as she glanced at Jake from under her eyelids. Sam couldn't help the smirk when either Jake didn't see it, or ignored it. Linda took a step closer.

The other guys noticed Linda on the outskirts of their group, but Jake didn't seem to. Darrell was starting to flirt with Linda who only had eyes for Jake.

"Throw me the ball," Darrell shouted at Jake. Darrell ran close to Linda as Jake let loose the ball.

Sam's mouth formed an O as the ball seemed to float through the air in slow motion. Right at Linda. Before anyone could yell for Linda to look out, the ball hit her on the side of the head. Linda fell to the ground and started to cry.

Sam ran towards where Linda was on the ground, the tears streaking her face. Darrell was already there and trying to help Linda up. Sam arrived and stood near Jake.

"Are you okay, darlin'?" Darrell asked Linda. Ann was standing next to them.

"Yes," Linda answered, looking towards Jake.

Jake was rubbing the back of his neck, but not looking at Linda.

"Sorry," Jake murmured under his breath.

"Are you all right, Linda?" the teacher supervisor asked as he came up.

"I think so," Linda stated.

"Come on, we better go see the nurse," the teacher said. "That was a nasty bump on the head."

Sam knew that Jake hadn't done it on purpose though some of the kids were looking as him like he might have. His friends picked up the football and started throwing it again. Jake stood next to Sam for a moment.

"You wouldn't have cried," Jake told her.

"No?" Sam responded.

"No, you would have chased me all over the playground and tried to kick my butt," Jake gave her a lopsided grin as he ran after his friends. He heard Sam's peal of laughter as he ran and his grin spread into a full blown smile.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Happy Birthday," Sam told Jake on October 1st.

"Thanks," Jake murmured. "You're coming by?"

"I hope so," Sam gave a big sigh.

"Just don't hit anyone today," Jake teased.

Sam hit him.

"You better hope I don't tell your father," Jake laughed.

"It would suck for you since I wouldn't be able to bring you your present," Sam gave him a grin.

"You gave it to me the next day last year," Jake reminded her.

"I'd take it back this year," Sam's grin widened.

"You _are_ a brat," Jake's mouth twitched.

"Who me?" Sam punched him again.

"Ow," Jake complained. "I'm going to punch out Quinn when I get home."

"Why's that?"

"He taught you how to hit properly," Jake said.

"Well don't punch him out until after the football game," Sam told him.

Jake burst out laughing.

"Hey everything's uneven," Sam said as they got on the bus, which had just arrived.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"Kit's gone," Sam responded.

"You're right," Jake murmured. "Maybe you can play more than center."

"I don't want to be tackled," Sam said, sitting on the seat next to him.

"We'll promise not to tackle you hard," Jake said.

"Not tackle me hard?" Sam yelped. "You might not tackle me hard, but the ground will be."

Jake grinned down at her and Sam groaned.

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like this," Sam grumbled.

"Some girls would pay good money to be tackled by Quinn," Jake teased.

Sam snorted. "I'm not one of them though."

Jake raised an eyebrow.

"Nope," Sam shook her head. "I'm not blond."

Jake snorted, then started to laugh. "You are priceless, Brat."

Sam gave him a look. "What does that mean?"

"That you are one of a kind," Jake responded.

"That's good, right?"

"Yeah, that's good," Jake told her as they arrived at school and got off the bus.

Sam couldn't help the smile. Jake didn't compliment her very often, but this one meant a lot to her. They walked into the school together, for once he didn't leave her to join his friends.

"See you later," Jake said when he spied Darrell.

"Bye Jake," Sam murmured and her smile widened when he lifted his hand in her direction. She wasn't sure why she felt so good that he had done it, but she did.

Sam glanced over, the smile still on her face, as she walked past Jake and his friends.

"Me thinks the little neighbor tagalong is diggin' you dude," one of Jake's friends said to him.

"Nah, she's just excited about playing football later," Jake shook his head, but he smiled softly.

"She plays football?" Frank asked.

"Yeah," Jake nodded, looking at Sam as she joined her friends.

"She's a tough little kid," one of the others said.

"You have no idea," Jake laughed.

Then he sobered thinking of Sam losing her mother at such a young age. How his family had sort of adopted her. She had to be tough to survive both losing her mother and hanging around with them. The Elys didn't like sissies and thankfully Sam was no sissy. She gave as good as she got from them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Sammy!" Bryan greeted her that afternoon when she arrived for Jake's birthday. Bryan picked her up to hug her. "Have you missed us?"

"Yep," Sam put her arms around his neck. "Jake says I can't, but I do."

"Oh does he," Bryan murmured, turning to look at Jake who was sitting in the kitchen.

"Thanks, Brat," Jake grumbled.

"Well it's the truth," Sam told him. She was still in Bryan's arms but she tossed her gift to Jake to him. Jake caught it.

"Bryan put her down," Maxine told her son.

"I've missed her," Bryan said to his mother.

Maxine rolled her eyes.

"So Sammy, have you punched out any blonds lately?" Bryan asked her.

"No, though I wanted to," Sam responded.

Bryan carried her into the family room.

"Hey Quinn, go out for a pass," Bryan told his twin.

"Sammy!" Quinn shouted and caught her when Bryan tossed her to him. Sam grunted as he tightened his arms around her. "Have you clocked any of my remaining harem?"

"Not today," Sam told him. Quinn laughed.

"She said she wanted to," Bryan said as he sat in one of the chairs.

"Hi Sammy," Nate greeted her as Quinn sat on the couch with her. He let her go and she crawled off of him to sit next to him. Quinn put his arm around her.

"Whose team are you going to be on?" Nate asked her.

"Who's gonna win?" Sam asked him with a grin.

"Ours," Jake said, coming into the family room. Nate reached out and Jake gave him a high five before sitting on the other side of Sam.

"Then I guess I'm on yours," Sam grinned at both Nate and Jake.

"Not fair," Bryan complained. "You can have Quinn, we'll take Sammy."

"Nuh uh," Nate shook his head. "She said she wanted to be on our team."

"Let them have her," Quinn told his twin. "She'll be easy to tackle."

"No tackling Samantha," Maxine warned her sons, as she came in to start putting dinner on the table.

"We have to tackle her," Bryan stated. "It's not fair that they have a player that can't be tackled when all of ours can."

"Who can't be tackled?" Adam asked, coming in from the bedrooms. "Never mind. Hey Sammy!"

"Hi Adam," Sam smiled at him.

"I take it you've already been claimed by Nate and Jake?" Adam wondered. His eyes flicked to Jake who had blanked out his expression.

"Yep," Sam nodded. "That means I can't hike for you anymore."

"And you were such a good hiker," Adam complained with a laugh. "Kit would be so disappointed he couldn't look at your, uh _hiking_."

Adam started to laugh to himself and the rest of them wondered what he found so funny. Jake was suspicious, but had no clue about the emphasis on the word hiking.

"Speaking of, uh _hiking_," Adam guffawed. "When do you start sex ed, Jakey?"

Jake colored, sneaking a look at Sam. Thankfully, Sam was clueless. He saw her open her mouth to ask and groaned.

Jake just shook his head at Adam.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"You have to wait until you're a sixth grader, Sammy," Bryan told her with a grin.

"Why?" Sam wondered.

"Thems the rules," Nate said with a shrug.

Sam could see the amusement in Adam's, Nate's, Quinn's and Bryan's eyes. Jake looked embarrassed. It only whet Sam's curiosity more. Everyone could see it in her eyes. Jake groaned again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Jake's gonna go out for a pass," Nate told Sam later when they were playing football. "Then I'm going to fake the pass and hand it to you. Run as fast and as far as you can, Sammy."

Sam nodded and got in position. Quinn lined up across from her and stuck his tongue out at her. She returned the favor, both of them laughing.

Nate hiked the ball to himself and Jake took off down the pasture field at a run. Quinn was at first hesitant to go after him with Bryan, but turned and ran after his youngest brother. That was when Adam rushed Nate. Just before Nate hit the ground, he flipped the ball to Sam.

She caught it with both arms and started to run down the pasture.

"Sucker play," Bryan screamed and Quinn turned around to see Sam with the ball.

Jake had turned and knocked Quinn down just before he grabbed Sam. He kept his body between Bryan and Sam and kept Sam just out of reach of his brother.

"Get her," they heard Adam yelling.

Sam was laughing as she ran. She heard the footsteps behind her and fought the temptation to look to see who it was.

"Run, Brat," Jake's voice came to her, not far behind her.

Sam pumped her arms harder, trying to beat whoever it was behind her. She reached the goal and threw the ball down, dancing as she'd seen the others do when they scored a touchdown. They were all laughing at her, Jake coming up to give her a high five. Nate ran to her, picking her up and bouncing her over his shoulders.

"Way to go, Sammy," Nate told her.

Sam was grinning at Adam, Quinn and Bryan.

"Good run, Sammy," Adam told her when Nate put her down.

"We lead," Nate bragged.

"Not for long little brother," Adam countered. "It's our turn for the ball."

Adam and his team gathered in a huddle as he mapped out what he wanted Quinn and Bryan to do.

"They're going to run through Sammy," Nate predicted.

Jake nodded.

"I'll trip them," Sam grinned, causing both boys to snort.

"If you trip them, one of us will tackle them," Jake told her.

The three of them nodded and broke up their huddle just as Adam, Quinn and Bryan did. Sure enough, both twins lined up across from Sam.

Adam hiked the ball to himself. Quinn and Bryan started to run by Sam, who put out her foot and tripped Quinn who yelped in surprise. Bryan hesitated and Nate blocked him away from Sam. With both of his teammates covered, Adam had to run the ball. Sam tripped him as he went by and Jake jumped on his back. Sam then jumped on top of the pile. She rolled off, got up and jumped on again.

"Okay, let me up," Adam grunted from the bottom of the pile.

"We got you good, Adam," Sam crowed, causing them all to start laughing.

"Tripped up by a nine year old," Nate teased his older brother.

"Next time you can have Quinn and I'll take Sammy," Adam told Nate.

"Hey!" Quinn took offense.

"She got you didn't she?" Adam asked with a laugh.

"She got you too," Quinn reminded him.

"You're not getting my best blocker," Nate told them as he picked her up and took her back to their huddle.

Sam gave Adam, Quinn and Bryan the raspberries over Nate's shoulder, cracking all three of them up.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Today's the day," Darrell said to Jake some months later. "Did you get your parents to fill out your permission slip?"

Jake nodded. He wasn't looking forward to this at all. His sex education class started today. It would last for a week. All the sixth grade boys would gather with a couple of the male teachers for a couple of hours before lunch. All the sixth grade girls would do the same with a couple of the female teachers.

Jake knew the basics. He participated in the breeding of the ranch animals, but just couldn't picture humans. Not that he wanted to at this point.

He and Darrell went to their classroom. Their teacher asked for everyone's permission slips. Just about everyone had them. Those that didn't would spend the time in the library studying.

The girls didn't look at the boys. Most of the boys smirked. Jake didn't. He had a feeling his brothers would be smirking enough at him for awhile. They had all teased him, promising him much after he had taken the classes.

Adam had come into his room last night when Jake was finishing up his homework and getting ready for bed.

"I just wanted to let you know that if you have any questions, you can come to me," Adam told him.

_Yeah right_, Jake thought. And have Adam blab to the others that Jake was clueless about something? Adam saw it on Jake's face.

"Honestly, I won't tell the others," Adam had held up his hand as if vowing a pledge. "I asked Kit a lot of questions when I went through it."

"Really?" Jake had asked.

"Yep," Adam responded. "It beat asking Mom or Dad."

Jake shuddered. He'd rather not know anything than go to either of them with questions.

"Exactly," Adam laughed. Jake's mouth twitched.

"Okay," Jake said.

Adam nodded and left Jake's room.

Now the girls left the room, most of them blushing as they did so. Some of the guys gave catcalls, which upset the teacher.

"None of that," their teacher warned them. "We're treating you like adults, so we expect you to act like adults."

The room became quiet. The teacher went into the closet and brought out some large poster boards. He asked one of the boys to go into the closet and grab a large stand to put the poster boards on.

When the boys saw the first poster which was a man's anatomy, there were titters in the room.

"Knock it off," their teacher told them. The room quieted again.

"Now most of you know your own parts, but might not know the real names for them," the teacher said. "In this class, we will be respectful of both your own and a woman's anatomy. I will not tolerate any slang for any body parts, understand?"

"Yes sir," most everyone said.

Jake sat through the teacher taking a pointer and pointing to the various body parts, making the class recite each one after him. He caught Darrell's eye. Darrell's eyes were dancing with humor.

There was a murmur in the room when the teacher tucked the men's anatomy poster behind the next one and the women's anatomy was revealed.

"Whoa," someone near the back of the room murmured.

The teacher gave everyone a look and the murmurs quieted down.

"These are breasts," the teacher pointed with his pointer.

"Yes, they are," someone joked and most of the guys started to laugh.

"One more outburst and this whole class will be down at the principal's office," the teacher warned. Everyone quieted down. "They're not knockers, tatas, jugs, boobs or any other word you might have heard or said.

"Most of you probably suckled at your mother's breasts when you were born," the teacher continued. Every guy in the room groaned, thinking of their mothers having breasts. It was just too gross to think about.

The teacher pointed out the rest of the women's reproductive organs. Jake was familiar with some of them due to breeding animals on the ranch.

The time passed quickly he thought as the teacher soon told them to get ready for lunch. Jake glanced at the clock, surprised at the time.

"So what do you think?" Darrell asked as they headed for the lunchroom.

Jake saw Sam up ahead of them, going into the lunchroom with her friends.

"About what?"

"The sex ed stuff," Darrell clarified.

Jake shrugged. "I'm used to anatomy with the animals."

"Yeah, but this is human stuff," Darrell pointed out.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck. He walked past Sam and her friends as they got their drinks and headed to a table. Sam looked up at him and smiled.

"She really is getting cute," Darrell murmured.

"So you've said," Jake muttered.

"She'll be a woman in a few years," Darrell said.

"She's nine years old," Jake reminded him.

"She'll be a woman in a few years," Darrell repeated. "You wait until the teacher talks about it and you'll understand."

"So what?"

"Once she is, she'll change and that's when guys will start to notice her," Darrell predicted, arching a brow at his friend.

Jake looked towards Sam where she was sitting with her friends. She still just looked like his little friend. Jake couldn't imagine Sam as a woman.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Jake had survived the week of sex education, but he swore he'd never look at girls the same way again. He would never look at his parents the same way again either. He shuddered whenever he thought of his parents copulating. He realized he wouldn't be there if they hadn't, but it was just too weird to think about.

Adam had asked Jake if he had any questions which he did. Adam had vowed not to tell the others so Jake asked about men and women being together. Adam had patiently explained to Jake how it worked.

"Not sure if the teacher covered this, but you _can_ get a girl pregnant the first time," Adam warned him. "Use protection every time. No matter what."

Jake had nodded.

"Pregnancy is the least of your problems, little man," Adam went on. Adam told Jake about the various diseases that could ruin Jake's life, even kill him.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck.

"Jakey, trust me," Adam had clapped his hand on his youngest brother's shoulder. "It's great. Just be careful, okay?"

Jake nodded.

"Any dreams?" Adam asked.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck again, but nodded.

"Jake, everything you're feeling is normal," Adam assured him. "We all go through it. It's part of becoming a man."

Jake met his eyes then and it was Adam's turn to nod, giving his brother an encouraging look. Then he told Jake where his stash of girly magazines were.

"You're welcome to them if you can pry them out of Quinn's and Bryan's hands," Adam laughed. Jake smirked.

"The pictures look a lot better than those I'm sure your teacher used," Adam continued. Jake colored and looked away again, jumping in surprise when he felt Adam's slap on the back. "I bet I know who you think of when you dream, huh?"

Jake's head snapped up then and Adam knew he had gone too far. Jake had quickly left the room, not saying anything to Adam for awhile afterwards.

Adam had come to Jake later and apologized, telling his little brother that he hadn't meant it as a joke. Not really.

"It's okay to think about the girls you know like that," Adam told him.

Jake had violently shaken his head.

"It's normal, Jakey," Adam said.

"She's my friend," Jake said adamantly.

"She's going to grow up into a beautiful woman," Adam responded. "It's natural for you to think of her that way."

"She's nine," Jake's eyes met Adam's.

"She is now," Adam shrugged. "She won't be forever. Remember that."

Jake had stared after Adam, thinking of what his older brother had told him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Sam rode George into the Three Ponies yard. It was a Saturday and even though it was winter, it was a bright, sunny day. She had wanted to see the mare that was pregnant with Jake's foal.

Princess Kitty, the mare pregnant with the foal that would belong to Sam, was nice and round. Sam was getting really excited and hoped that her foal would be a good one. She had asked Jake if he would help her train it and he had told her that he would.

"Hey Sammy," Bryan came out of the barn as Sam pulled George up.

"What's Jake doing?" Sam looked into the round pen, seeing Jake with the horse that his dad had bought for Kit to practice riding broncs. Everyone had thought the horse wouldn't make a good saddle horse.

"He's been training it," Bryan told her, pride for his brother in his voice. "Dad said he could have any money he made when he sold it."

"Wow," Sam had had no idea that Jake was doing this.

"Hey Brat," Jake's eyes flicked to hers when she dismounted from George to look through the rails of the pen.

"You didn't tell me," Sam sounded hurt.

She looked up and waved as Bryan said goodbye to her and started towards the house.

"Hang on," Jake told her, turning back to the horse.

He sent the horse around the pen again with a flick of the long line he was holding. The horse loped around, Jake turning with him as he did. Sam saw the horse cock an ear in Jake's direction before lowering his head and making licking motions with his lips. She was fascinated with how the horse was reacting and wanted to ask Jake about it.

Jake quit sending the horse and turned his back. Sam put her hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp, hoping that the horse wouldn't trample her friend now that his back was turned. Instead, the horse stopped and then turned in Jake's direction, slowly walking up to him to stop behind him.

Jake turned his body slightly and rubbed the horse's neck. Sam could hear him murmuring to the horse, but not the words he used. Finally, Jake left the horse to come out of the pen and join Sam.

"Wow, that was great," Sam grabbed his arm in excitement.

"Thanks," Jake rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, but she knew he liked her praise.

"Why didn't you tell me you were training him?" Sam asked.

"Because if I failed, I didn't want to hear about it," Jake said honestly.

"I wouldn't make fun of you," Sam was hurt.

Jake met her eyes and nodded slowly.

"Will you be able to ride him?" Sam wondered.

"Soon," Jake nodded.

"Will you keep him?" Sam was full of questions today.

"Nah," Jake shook his head. "I'll have Fancy's foal to train."

"What's his name?" Sam asked.

"Banjo," Jake answered.

"He's a nice horse," Sam murmured, smiling up at him. Jake nodded.

"Can I see your mare?" Sam asked. "Kitty is really big."

"Fancy is too," Jake left the long line draped over the railing and together the two friends went into the barn.

Jake pushed a hay bale closer to the stall so Sam could climb up and look inside.

"She's big too," Sam agreed after looking at the big Quarter Horse mare. "Wouldn't it be cool if they had their foals on the same day?"

Jake nodded.

"You're still going to help me train mine, right?" Sam asked him.

"Yeah, I told you I would," Jake sounded irritated.

Sam tilted her head at him, but he wasn't looking at her. In fact, Jake seemed to look everywhere but at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothin," Jake denied, his voice cracking slightly. He ducked his head and Sam understood. His voice was doing the up and down thing that his brothers' voices had done.

Jake was embarrassed. His voice had just started doing that and he was humiliated that it had happened in front of Sam.

"Wanna go for a ride?" Sam asked.

Jake's eyes met hers. He didn't see any humor or amusement in them at all. He sighed quietly in relief.

"Sure," Jake murmured.

Sam gave him a brilliant smile as he went to get his tack for his horse.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Spring tried to push its way over northern Nevada. The breezes held the promise of the warmer weather to come. Sam though was sad. Spring meant that Jake would be leaving elementary school soon and they wouldn't be together in school for four years.

To Sam, it didn't seem to bother Jake much. He tried to convince her that they'd remain friends, just like they did when he started school and she was still too young. Sam knew it wasn't the same thing.

Jake would be meeting lots of new people at the bigger school and he could forget his friend left behind. Sam tried telling him this, but Jake blew her off. He told her she was overreacting.

His voice was starting to level out to a deeper tone. Jake had started growing too. He now towered over Sam, making her feel even more like a little kid. Jake was becoming a man. Would a man want to still be friends with a little kid? A little girl? Somehow, Sam had her doubts.

They argued a lot. For Sam, she needed his reassurances that he wouldn't leave her behind. For Jake, she was acting like he was going off to war never to return. When he tried to reassure her that nothing would change, she would still burst into tears, not believing it. Jake would throw up his hands in the air and stalk away.

Deep down, Sam was worried that he'd be around all those older girls and he'd not like her anymore. Once she faced her fears, nothing he said or did would placate her.

Plain and simple, Jake was growing up without her. Sam was still a child. Jake was becoming a man. Though Jake didn't seem to notice other girls, Sam knew it was only a matter of time before he did. Then what would she do? She couldn't compete with older girls. Girls who had breasts and curves while she was still flat as a board with no hope of developing any time soon.

All her thoughts made her depressed. Gram and Dad noticed and asked her what was wrong. She couldn't tell them. It made her sound like a baby, that she might be losing her best friend.

When she rode the bus with Jake, they didn't talk a lot of the time because she was afraid of saying something dumb that would make him mad at her. She was afraid that if he kept getting mad at her, he'd think that it was easier not to be her friend.

The days started getting longer again and she and Jake rode out sometimes after school. Sam would lay a track for Jake and wait for him to find her. As she sat waiting for him, her thoughts would go back to her worries and she'd get all antsy again.

She was driving herself crazy. She could just imagine how crazy she was making Jake.

Jake saw her eyes darting all over as they rode their horses on the playa. It was a bright, sunny Saturday and they had gotten their chores done early. Their mares were just about ready to foal and both were anxious. Jake knew though that there was something more going on with Sam and wished she'd just tell him what it was.

Who was he kidding? He knew what it was. Jake was sure it was her worrying they wouldn't be friends anymore once he started going to middle school.

He had to admit that they might not be as close since he would be doing other things, and have more homework to do. However, he couldn't imagine his life without Sam in it.

They had been friends for so long now. He thought back and was amazed it was six years.

"Do you know we've been friends for six years?" Jake said out loud.

Sam's head snapped around. "Really?"

"I was just thinking about that," Jake murmured.

"I wonder if we'll..," Sam broke off and turned away.

"Brat, we'll be friends forever," Jake vowed.

"You can't say that," Sam snapped.

"Bet me," Jake pulled up his horse.

Sam pulled up George next to him, her brown eyes meeting his dark brown eyes. "Bet you?"

"I bet you that in six years we'll still be friends," Jake said, his tomcat in the sun smug grin on his face.

"That's a dumb bet," Sam said.

"Why?"

"If we're not friends, I can't collect," Sam told him sensibly.

"But we will be," Jake said, a superior look on his face.

"Okay Mr. Bigshot," Sam stuck out her hand. Jake stuck his out and they shook.

"On your birthday in six years, we'll be friends," Jake said.

"Or what?" Sam wanted to know.

"I'll take you out for an expensive dinner," Jake responded.

"Okay and if we are, I'll take you out for an expensive dinner," Sam vowed. The two shook again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

After they had made the bet, Sam was able to relax a bit. Oh, she was still worried that she and Jake wouldn't be friends and would drift apart, but maybe now they could tease each other about it, maybe reminding each other that they wanted to be friends.

One morning Sam was waiting at the bus stop when Jake ran up. She turned to look at him and saw that he looked exhausted.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"My foal was born last night," Jake's tired features broke into a grin.

Sam gripped his arm. "No! Really?"

"Nah, I'm lyin'," Jake's grin became his smug tomcat grin.

"What was it?" Sam yelped, excited for her friend.

"Filly," Jake couldn't help the smile. "Coal black."

"Oh I can't wait to see her," Sam bounced up and down in front of him.

"No sign of your foal yet?" Jake asked.

"Dad thinks by the weekend," Sam bit her lip, then looked up at him. "I hope she doesn't have it when I'm at school."

"Mares usually foal in the middle of the night," Jake lorded his superior knowledge over her.

"Why?"

"I don't know, they just do," Jake said.

"Why though?"

"I don't know, Brat," Jake snapped. "Talk to a vet and ask him."

Sam tilted her head at him. "Why would the vet be a him? Can't girls be vets?"

Jake rolled his eyes. "Yes girls can be vets, but most of them are men."

"I'm going to be a vet just so I can prove you wrong," Sam told him.

"Vets have to know math," Jake teased.

"Why?"

"What is this? Twenty questions?" Jake was losing patience.

"You started it," Sam folded her arms over her chest.

"How did I start it?" Jake yelped. "I just told you my filly was born."

"Then you said girls aren't good vets," Sam reminded him.

"I never said girls aren't good vets," Jake threw up his hands in exasperation. He heard and then saw the bus coming and was thankful. She was driving him crazy with her questions.

He hopped onto the bus when it stopped and went to the back of the bus. He put his backpack on the seat next to him so Sam couldn't sit there. Sam looked down at the backpack, then at his face. Jake wasn't looking at her, rather he was looking out the window. Biting her lip, Sam flung herself down on the seat in front of him.

She bit her lip to keep him from realizing that he had hurt her. Sam wiped her tears as she looked down at her shoes. They didn't speak the whole trip into school.

When they reached their school, Sam was up and down the aisle before the bus made a complete stop. Once the doors opened, she was off and running towards the school. She wanted to get inside before she burst into tears like a baby.

Sam didn't realize that she passed Darrell on the way. She never saw him through her wet eyes.

"What's the matter with your girlfriend?" Darrell asked Jake when he had gotten off the bus.

"She's not my girlfriend," Jake sighed. The two friends went inside and started towards their sixth grade classroom. "At this point, I'm beginning to think the friendship isn't worth the trouble." They passed Sam's class without seeing her just inside the doorway. Sam heard Jake's words and paled.

"Are you all right, Samantha?" her teacher saw her.

Sam's eyes were large in her face as she nodded. The teacher wasn't so sure.

"Why don't you sit down," the teacher suggested.

Sam nodded again and hurried to her desk. She put her face in her hands, devastated that Jake didn't want to be her friend anymore. Despite all his assurances otherwise, she had heard him tell his friend the opposite.

The day dragged for Sam. She wished she could go home. She didn't want to ride the bus with Jake on the way home.

Jake watched her from across the playground. He could see her eyes dart to him every once in awhile though she would never look at him directly.

Finally, he asked her on the bus on the way home what was wrong.

"Nothing," Sam sat in front of him even though he hadn't put his backpack on the seat this time.

"Something," Jake insisted.

He saw her shake her head, but she wouldn't turn and look at him. When they reached their bus stop, Sam hurried off the bus and started running for home.

"Sam," Jake called to her. Sam stopped and turned her head slightly so he knew she had heard him. "Let me know if your mare foals."

Sam didn't respond, just continuing towards home.

Jake shook his head. He couldn't figure girls out. One minute they were fine, the next they acted all weird on you.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

He wasn't sure how far he had gone when he heard Sam's scream. Jake whirled, dropping his backpack and running back. She screamed again, then again.

As he came around a bend in the road, he saw her kneeling on the ground, screaming and crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his breath coming in great gulps.

"Jake!" Sam screamed. "Jake."

"I'm here, Brat," Jake gave her shoulder a shake. "What's wrong?"

"It's Jake," Sam screamed. "It's Jake. Oh Jake."

Jake looked down, passed Sam to see the turtle. The turtle was flattened on the pavement, obviously run over by a passing vehicle.

"Maybe it's not him," Jake knelt next to her. Even to him it was a hollow hope. The turtle sure looked like the one she had named after him. What was left of it anyway.

Sam shook her head, her screams now becoming sobs as she cried for her turtle. Jake heard a vehicle coming and realized how vulnerable they were sitting in the road.

"Come on," Jake picked her up, taking her to the shoulder of the road where there was some shade. Sam tried to resist, but Jake was stronger. Once he sat down, she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed for her dead turtle.

Jake normally didn't like displays such as this, but he realized how softhearted Sam was and how terrible she felt about the turtle's death.

He held Sam on his lap while she cried. Jake could feel the wetness of her tears soaking through his shirt, but he didn't move. He continued to hold her on the shoulder of the road until she had cried herself out.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Jake's deeper voice still surprised her sometimes. That he was sympathizing with her surprised her even more, especially after what he had said today.

She could only nod, still too overcome with her sorrow over the dead turtle. Then she started thinking that just like Jake the turtle, Jake the human was leaving her too. That got her crying again, surprising Jake.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Jake had thought she was over the crying.

"You're leaving me too," Sam wailed. "Just like Jake."

"I'm not leaving you," Jake insisted with a long suffering sigh. "Brat, I'm not moving to Timbuktu. I'm going to another school."

Sam shook her head as she continued to cry.

Gosh, he had no idea what else to do. Jake had a thought of the teasing he'd have to endure if his brothers came by to see him comforting Sam over the loss of a turtle. Then he was ashamed of himself. His friend was more important than any teasing he would receive. She was genuinely upset about the turtle.

"I _am_ sorry, Samantha," Jake murmured to her as he propped his chin on top of her head.

"He was a good turtle," Sam sniffled.

"He was a fast turtle," Jake said.

"You said you didn't think our friendship was worth the trouble," Sam surprised him. She felt him jump.

Jake sighed, his arms still around his friend and his chin still propped on top of her head. "Yeah I did, but I didn't mean it."

"You said it."

"I'm sorry," Jake apologized. "I shouldn't have and I didn't mean it, really."

Sam didn't say anything, but Jake could hear her sniffle.

"Haven't you said something about me that you didn't mean?" Jake asked.

"No," Sam shook her head.

"Oh come on, Brat," Jake insisted. "You never called me an idiot or a moron?"

"Yeah, I did," Sam conceded. "But I meant it."

Jake choked back a laugh.

"Well I didn't mean this," Jake promised. "Remember our bet?"

Sam nodded.

"I mean to collect," Jake told her. "My mouth is watering just picturing the huge steak, the lobster tail and all the fixin's that I'm going to have."

Sam smiled against his chest. She hated to admit it, but she felt pretty secure in his arms like this.

Jake hated to admit it, but she felt pretty good in his arms like this. She was so small, but she seemed to fit against him.

Jake felt himself stir and he stiffened. Oh no! Now what was he supposed to do? His sex education teacher had warned them all that this sort of thing could and would happen to them and there wasn't much they could do about it to not do it. Adam had assured him that all of this was normal, but he certainly didn't want Sam seeing it.

"Maybe you better go on home," Jake suggested.

Sam looked up at him, hurt on her face. Oh terrific! She thought he wanted to get rid of her. Well he did, but not for the reason she thought.

"Your Gram will be worried," Jake said.

The hurt left Sam's face. She glanced at where Jake the turtle was still laying in the road.

"I'll take care of him," Jake promised.

"You promise?" Sam asked, wiping her eyes.

"I promise," Jake held up his hand in a vow. "I'll bury him under the tree here."

Sam met his eyes and then nodded.

"Go on, it will be all right," Jake told her.

Sam crawled off of his lap. Jake remained where he was, not wanting to stand up right now.

"You'll call me if your mare starts to foal?" Jake asked.

Sam nodded. She went to her backpack and picked it up. Then she looked back at him. It looked like she was battling with something.

Suddenly she rushed to him, throwing her arms around him again, almost knocking him over in her enthusiasm.

"Thank you Jake," Sam's breath was warm against his neck. That didn't help his problem one bit.

"You're welcome, Sam," Jake told her, very sincere.

Sam started walking away from him, then broke out into a run. He knew she didn't want to see him pick up the squashed turtle from the road.

With a sigh, Jake started digging a hole near where he was sitting and then went and took the turtle from the road, placing it gently in the hole, before covering it with the dirt.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

That night, even though Sam was still upset about Jake the turtle, Princess Kitty had her foal. Sam had rushed into the house to call Jake, then ran back to the barn to arrive just as the foal did.

"Shhh," Dad warned her. "Let's not frighten mama."

Sam was standing on top of a hay bale, looking at the foal as it struggled to its feet. Kitty nudged her foal and the foal took a step, then fell in the straw.

"It's a colt," Dad told her.

"A boy?" Sam whispered loudly. "Jake has a black girl and I have a black boy."

"Congratulations, Brat," Jake came into the barn. Sam turned to look at him, a smile bright on her face.

"How'd you get here?" Sam jumped off the hay bale to grab his hand and bring him closer to the stall.

"Jake," Dad nodded.

"Mr. Forster," Jake nodded back. Then he told Sam, "I turned right and here I am."

Both he and Dad laughed when Sam hit Jake's arm. Sam was still smiling.

"Quit smilin'," Jake teased. "I'm going to need sunglasses otherwise."

Dad snorted.

"I'll go into the house, you two call me if anything changes," Dad said. He clapped a hand on Jake's shoulder before leaving. Jake rubbed the back of his neck.

"Isn't he great?" Sam gushed about her foal.

"Nice sized foal," Jake nodded. "Now though, you have to think of a special, secret name for him."

"Why?"

"The name will bind the two of you," Jake told her. "Grandfather swears by it."

"Okay," Sam nodded, her face scrunched up as she tried to think.

"You don't have to do it right this second," Jake laughed. "Tomorrow or the next day is fine."

"Oh," Sam smiled up at him and for the first time Jake could see what Adam had been telling him. Sam was going to be beautiful when she was older. It was if a film was pulled from his eyes, it was that plain to him. He shook himself.

"Now though, you have to go in and breathe your breath into his nostrils," Jake said.

Sam looked at him, trying to determine if he was telling her the truth or teasing her.

"Why?"

"Grandfather says to," Jake shrugged. "He'll learn your scent first and will recognize it for the rest of his life."

"Okay."

"Don't get between mama and her baby though," Jake warned her.

"Okay."

Jake pulled open the stall door, watching the mare to make sure she didn't rush at Sam. Sam almost tiptoed in and stood in front of the newborn. He regarded her with his large brown eyes.

"Go ahead," Jake urged.

Sam cupped her hands near the colt's nose and breathed a breath in his nostrils. She glanced at Jake who nodded, then she did it again.

"That's good," Jake told her. "Come on out."

"I'm going to call him Blackie," Sam said proudly. Jake rolled his eyes at the name. Sam obviously didn't see him otherwise she would have hit him.

"What did you name yours?" Sam asked.

"Witch," Jake responded.

"Why, is she mean?" Sam wondered.

"No, but she doesn't let anyone else but me near her," Jake said. Sam could see that bit of information pleased Jake.

The two watched as the foal buckled his legs and collapsed on the straw to sleep. Gram came in with what she said was a bran mash to give to Kitty. The tired mare ate it quickly.

"Let me know when you're ready and I'll drive you home, Jake," Gram told him.

Jake nodded as the older woman left the two of them in the barn.

He saw Sam give him several looks under her bangs and her lashes, not looking at him fully. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I took care of it," Jake promised her. "He's at the base of that tree."

Sam looked away quickly, but not before Jake saw the moisture in her eyes.

"Circle of life," Jake murmured.

Sam's head snapped up and she met his dark brown eyes.

"Something dies and something is born," Jake gestured at the new foal in the stall.

"I'll miss Jake," Sam murmured and Jake could hear the emotion in her voice.

"I know," Jake put his arm around her shoulder for an instant.

"He was a good turtle," Sam said again.

"The fastest turtle in Nevada," Jake murmured.

Sam choked and it sounded to Jake like a partial laugh and a partial sob.

"Please don't stop being my friend," Sam turned her head to look at him and Jake could see the tears dripping down her cheeks.

He couldn't stop himself, he caught one with this thumb.

"I made you a promise," Jake reminded her.

Sam gave a huge sniffle and nodded.

"Besides," Jake looked down at her. "I'm still picturing that dinner you'll be buying me in six years." He gave her a huge lopsided grin. "You better start saving your allowance now, Brat."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The weeks flew by and Sam couldn't wait until summer so she could spend time with Blackie. She talked about her colt constantly. Her friends tried to talk about other things like boys, but Sam just wanted to talk about her foal.

Sam knew that her chatter about Blackie also hid the fear that Jake was leaving her. He continued to assure her that they'd remain friends, but Sam couldn't hold back her fear.

He would tease her about their bet and pretend to lick his lips at the huge dinner she would buy him six years from now. Sam would gladly pay it if it meant that they were still friends. She couldn't and didn't want to think of her life without Jake in it.

What he had done for her when she had found her turtle cemented that he'd always be special to her. Without a second's hesitation, he had taken her in his arms and comforted her. Most people would have scoffed that it was just a turtle Jake knew how easily she loved things and took it seriously for her. Then to bury it for her showed her just what a good friend he was.

Even though they fought and disagreed like siblings, Sam knew that Jake would be there for her. She hoped that it continued for the rest of her life.

On the last day of school, she said goodbye for the summer to Linda and Ann. She ran to stand with Jake where their bus would come. His friend Darrell was there talking to Jake before he too got on the bus for the last time.

"See you in high school, darlin'," Darrell told her with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I might get there before you do," Sam retorted.

Jake burst out laughing. Darrell looked surprised for a second, then he too started to laugh.

"I'm tellin' ya, bro," Darrell said to Jake and with a wave he ran to his bus.

"Told you what?" Sam looked up at Jake.

"Nothin'," Jake shook his head, but he rubbed the back of his neck. He was uncomfortable about something, Sam knew.

"Something," Sam insisted.

Jake shook his head again. Sam put her hands on her hips.

"Simmer down, Brat," Jake told her. "He just said you were feisty."

"What's that?"

"Full of it," Jake said.

"Full of what?"

"Questions," Jake responded as their bus pulled up.

When she crossed her arms over her chest, he grabbed the strap of her backpack and pushed her towards the bus. She swatted his hand and he just laughed.

"Did you come up with a secret name?" Jake asked her as he poked and prodded her down the aisle.

"Yes," Sam nodded her head.

"Today, go into the stall and whisper it three times to, uh, uh…," Jake broke off.

"Blackie," Sam finished for him.

"Yeah, well shoot me if I say that out loud," Jake teased.

Sam whipped her head around and hit him. "It's a good name."

"If you say so," Jake laughed, pretending to hit her back. He yanked her back when she would have sat by the window and scooted in front of her.

"Hey," Sam complained. "I wanted to sit by the window for once."

"You can sit by the window all next year and the year after that," Jake reminded her.

He heard Sam's gasp. Jake looked down at her but she wasn't looking at him. Was that a tear? Oh good grief! This is why he didn't like girls.

"Why are you cryin'?" Jake asked.

"That was a mean thing to say," Sam sniffled. Then she bit her lip to keep it from trembling.

"It's the truth," Jake chuckled.

"It was mean," Sam yelled, causing all the rest of the kids in the bus along with the driver to turn and look at them.

"Pipe down, Brat," Jake muttered to her.

"It was mean," Sam said again. "Why are you my friend if you can't wait until you're not in school with me?"

"Maybe because everyone in the bus is lookin' at us," Jake growled under his breath.

"It was mean," Sam muttered back to him.

Jake gave a sigh. "Okay it was mean."

Sam's mouth dropped. Like that was an apology?

She kept turned from him until they got to their stop and she flounced down the aisle away from him as soon as the bus stopped. Jake's mouth twitched. She certainly was a brat. He had pegged her correctly six years ago, that was sure.

He followed her down the aisle.

"Good luck in middle school," the bus driver said to him.

"Thank you," Jake murmured and stepped off the bus after Sam.

She started stalking away from him and he grabbed her by the backpack.

"Brat, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelin's," Jake told her. "I was playing around."

Sam kicked his shins and turned for home. Jake's laughter followed her until she turned around, laughing and stuck her tongue out at him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Did you do as I told you?" Jake asked Sam later after he had rode into River Bend.

"Three times?" Sam asked him, flicking a glance at him.

"Yep," Jake nodded.

"Then yes, I did," Sam nodded back at him.

They were leaning against the fence watching Blackie scamper around Princess Kitty in the small pasture. Sam was smiling as she watched her colt.

"How strange is it that both of our foals are black," she murmured.

"It is strange," Jake agreed. "Not a speck of white on either."

"We'll look so cool riding our black horses," Sam grinned.

Jake laughed. "Well that certainly is the look I'm trying for."

Sam hit him and he just laughed harder.

"Wanna go for a ride?" Jake asked.

"Sure, let me get George," Sam started for the main pasture.

"I'll get your tack," Jake said, heading into the barn.

Jake thought he heard a pitiful attempt at a whistle and cocked his head to listen. Then he started to laugh. Sam was trying to imitate his whistle but failing miserably.

"What the heck is that pitiful noise?" he asked when he came out with her saddle and bridle.

"I'm whistling," Sam demonstrated and Jake started laughing again.

"I thought the cat was dyin'," Jake teased.

"It's a good whistle," Sam stomped her foot as she put her hands on her hips.

"To another dyin' cat maybe," Jake responded. "Remind me I need to teach you how to whistle."

"I know how to whistle," Sam insisted, doing the awful noise again.

"Brat, you're scarin' the livestock," Jake pointed out.

Sam turned back to the pasture to see all the horses huddling at the far side of the pasture. She glanced at Jake and was reminded why she thought his eyes looked like a mustang's. They were full of mischief. Sam couldn't help the giggle. Jake's mouth first twitched before allowing himself a full blown smile that turned into laughter.

To Sam, this was why they were friends. They made each other laugh and sometimes for the silliest reasons. Jake was usually able to tease Sam out of one of her pouty moods. Sam was usually able to make Jake grin, smile or laugh. Plus Jake watched out for her like the big brother he was. She would do just about anything for him and she knew he would do the same.

Jake let loose a whistle that almost deafened Sam. She jumped then grumbled when George came from the far end of the pasture.

"You practice that when I'm not looking," Sam complained.

"Right," Jake laughed. "I sneak out of school early so I can come here and whistle at your horse." He rolled his eyes.

"I knew it," Sam's mouth curved up into a smile and Jake was reminded again what Adam had told him about Sam growing up to be pretty. He blushed and turned away quickly.

Sam frowned thinking he was mad at her.

"I was kidding," Sam told him.

Jake glanced at her briefly. "I know." He looked away again.

Sam was confused. "What's wrong?"

"Nuttin'," Jake shook his head. "Grab your horse and let's go ride."

"Speaking of nuts," Sam gave him a look. "You are one." She grinned as Jake tried to look insulted.

"I'm a nut?" Jake asked. "I wasn't the one makin' sounds like I was killin' cats."

Sam punched his arm and the two of them shared a smile.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Sam hadn't wanted to go on roundup this year. She wanted to stay home and spend the time with Blackie. Dad threatened to sell the foal again, so Sam decided to go on roundup.

"Hey Sammy," Nate picked her up and tossed her in the air. "You're almost getting to big for me to do that anymore."

"I'm ten," Sam reminded him. Her birthday had just been the day before.

"My gosh, you can't be ten," Nate held her and looked down into her face.

"Toss her here, Nate," Quinn opened his arms.

"She's getting big," Nate warned him, tossing Sam towards his younger brother.

Quinn pretended he was going to drop her and Sam screamed as she wrapped her arms around him and clung to him.

"Works every time," Quinn laughed.

"Yeah, it's the only way you get girls to hug you," Sam laughed back at him.

"I didn't think it was possible," Quinn looked pensive.

"What?" Sam took his bait.

"You're even sassier than you were the last time I saw you," Quinn laughed, kissing her nose.

Sam screwed up her face and wiped her nose with the palm of her hand.

"I'm glad you did that afterwards," Quinn teased, tossing her to Bryan.

Sam wrapped herself around Quinn's twin and kissed him noisily on the lips.

"Hey, that's not fair," Quinn complained.

"He doesn't drop me," Sam smirked at him. Nate, Quinn and Bryan laughed.

"Wow, you brought Banjo?" Sam slid down Bryan's body as Jake backed the bay horse out.

"Wanna see how he does," Jake shrugged, ignoring the horse's snort.

"That's quite a horse, Jake," Dad came up to stand nearby.

"That used to be Kit's bucking horse," Sam told him.

"Jake trained him all on his own," Luke said proudly.

"I might be interested if you ever decide to sell," Dad said to Jake.

"I am selling him," Jake told the older man. "Let me ride him a bit to see how he goes, then you can try him."

"No son," Dad shook his head. "I want to see how he does for me right off the bat."

Jake looked at his father who gave a slight nod, then Jake nodded at Wyatt.

"I had to leave Smoke home since he's still a stallion so I'm looking for a good mount," Dad took Banjo's lead rope from Jake.

"When are you gelding him?" Luke asked.

"As soon as we're back from roundup," Dad told his friend.

"Not wise to have stallions around," Luke murmured. He glanced at his sons.

"Why are you looking at us and saying that?" Quinn yelped.

Everyone but Sam started to laugh. Sam didn't get it.

"Forget it, Brat," Jake shook his head when everyone else moved off and it was just the two of them standing there.

"Why?"

"I'm not going there."

"Going where?"

"Going where ever it is you think I'm going to go by telling you what they meant," Jake said.

Sam stomped her foot. Jake just laughed and turned away from her to get another horse out of the trailer.

"Go get your horse, Brat," Jake told her, seeing that everyone but her was getting ready.

Sam ran towards the River Bend trailer where Dallas the foreman was backing George out. He helped her saddle the horse and lifted Sam up even though she insisted she could mount on her own.

"I won't be able to do it much longer," Dallas told her with a smile. He handed her the reins. "You're getting to be such a big young lady."

Sam smiled back at him. Then she reined George back towards the Three Ponies' trailer where Jake was tightening the cinch on his saddle. He looked up briefly before unhooking the stirrup from the saddle horn and slipping the bridle over his horse's head.

"Don't forget you promised to teach me to whistle," Sam reminded him.

"Darn, I was hoping you forgot," Jake muttered loud enough for her to hear.

"You promised," Sam said.

Jake gave her a lopsided grin as he swung up into the saddle.

"We'll try it later," Jake promised. "Now though I don't think either of our dads want you scaring the cattle into a stampede."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Sam tried to copy what Jake was doing with his mouth, but she couldn't quite get it down correctly. Consequently, she was making noises that were causing Jake to laugh so hard he was rolling around on the ground.

"It's not that funny," Sam tried to hit him.

"Yes it is," Jake insisted.

Sam had to laugh. She liked it when Jake laughed. His whole face got involved from his eyes getting a little crinkle near the corners to the little squint, to his full lips pulled back from his white teeth. He really was cute when he laughed and Sam was at the age where she noticed cute boys.

Sam tried to whistle again but she was laughing too hard.

"Stop it," Sam leaned over to try and hit him again. He rolled out of the way, laughing as he did.

Sam leapt on him and he grabbed her and tried to hold her off. The two of them rolled around, laughing hysterically. Somehow Sam rolled on top of Jake and pinned his arms under her legs.

She grinned an evil grin down at him.

"Don't even think about it, Brat," Jake warned her.

"Think about what?" Sam asked innocently.

"Don't do it," he warned her again.

Sam took her hands and wiggled her fingers as if she were going to tickle him. She giggled as she leaned over him.

"You'll pay, big time," Jake said.

Sam gave him the raspberries and her body bounced up and down as Jake laughed.

She bent over him again, pretending like she was going to tickle him, but instead bent down and gave him a quick kiss. Then she giggled at the surprised look upon his face and then started to tickle him.

"I warned you," Jake laughed, wiggling under her.

Suddenly Jake rolled her over and pinned Sam beneath him.

"Hey!" Sam yelped. "That's not fair."

"What's not fair, Brat?" Jake tucked her arms under his legs.

"You could have gotten up," Sam told him.

"Yeah I could have," Jake laughed. "Any time I wanted."

"Then why…?" Sam stopped.

If he could have gotten up at any time, then why hadn't he moved away when she had kissed him?

"Why what?" Jake leaned over her.

Sam lifted her head to kiss him again. Jake started to tickle her and Sam screamed with laughter.

"Stop it," she screamed. "Jake, stop."

"You ignored my warning, you have to pay," Jake continued to tickle her.

"You're fat," Sam yelled.

"Not going to stop me," Jake told her with a laugh. He continued to tickle her unmercifully.

Sam bucked under him, but couldn't budge him at all.

"Fat boy," Sam screamed out in laughter.

"Fat boy has skinny girl pinned," Jake reminded her.

"Fat, fat, jumbo Jake," Sam chanted and Jake chuckled, but he continued to tickle her.

"Uncle, fat, jumbo Jake," Sam tried and Jake just laughed harder.

"I said uncle," Sam pointed out.

"I didn't tell you to," Jake said.

"I can't breathe," Sam was laughing so hard she choked.

"You're gonna have to turn blue before I'll stop," Jake warned her.

"Darn it Jake, let me up," Sam screamed to no avail.

"Nope," Jake bent over her again.

Sam stopped screaming. She pulled his ears. He yowled, but dipped his head as she pulled on his ears. She kissed him again, holding his ears so he couldn't get away from her.

"Ow, why are you pulling my ears?" Jake asked.

Sam kissed him again.

"Will you stop doin' that?" Jake jerked his head away, ignoring the pain in his ears.

He saw the hurt and he guessed, the embarrassed, look on Sam's face as he got up. Sam scrambled to her feet and started to run from him.

With a groan, Jake ran after her, grabbing her arm and making her face him.

"Brat," Jake began.

"It's okay, Jake," Sam managed to tell him.

Jake looked down at her.

"You don't have to worry about it," Sam continued.

"No?"

"No," Sam snapped, pulling her arm out of his grip. "I will _never_ kiss you again. Ever!"

Jake watched, rubbing the back of his neck, as she ran from him.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"Sam," Jake tried to talk to her later while they were getting their dinners.

"What?" Sam snapped.

"I'm sorry," he dug the toe of his boot in the dirt.

"It's okay, really," Sam told him. She scooped a spoonful of potatoes onto her plate.

Jake was frustrated, but didn't want to make a scene. "Okay."

He helped himself to some green beans.

They sat with his brothers as they ate. Nate, Adam, Quinn and Bryan could feel the tension between the two younger ones. Adam met Nate's eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"What's going on with you two?" Quinn asked.

"Nothing," Sam murmured.

"Nothin'," Jake said at the same time.

"You're coming camping with us again this year, right Sammy?" Nate asked.

Sam raised her head to look at him. Then she looked at Jake. He lifted his eyes to hers. Sam shrugged.

"Whoa," Quinn said under his breath. He met the eyes of his other three brothers.

Something was definitely going on between Jake and Sam.

"Well I hope you do," Nate told her.

Sam smiled at him.

"Me too," Bryan said.

"Count me as wanting Sammy to come," Adam smiled at her.

Sam smiled back.

"You know I want Sammy," Quinn grinned. "She's good at catching fish."

Everyone turned to Jake who had his head down staring at the ground. He sensed everyone's gaze and looked up.

"What?"

"Unreal," Bryan shook his head with disgust.

"We're just telling Sammy we want her to come with us on our camping trip again this year," Adam gave Jake a look.

"Sure," Jake nodded, looking over at Sam.

Later Adam cornered Jake and asked him what was going on.

"Nothin'," Jake answered.

"Jake, something is going on between you and Sammy," Adam persisted.

Jake gave a long-suffering sigh. "She kissed me."

Adam snorted, earning a disgusted look from Jake.

"Is that all?" Adam asked. "Did she have bad breath or something?"

"No," Jake snapped, then took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.

"Then what's the problem, little man?" Adam had to ask.

"There is no problem, remember?" Jake retorted. "I said 'nothin''."

"You and Sammy seemed strained," Adam said.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck and groaned. "She kept doing it."

"And you complained?" Adam laughed in surprised. "Jake are you insane?"

Jake gave him another disgusting look. Adam tried to get his merriment under control.

"Okay, so did you not like it?" Adam asked.

Jake looked around. "It was nice." He shrugged.

"Then what's the problem?" Adam was lost.

"I'm the guy," Jake said, as if it were obvious.

Adam shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"Isn't the guy supposed to initiate it?" Jake wondered.

"Yeah, maybe back when Dad was your age," Adam laughed. "Jake, who cares if they kiss you first, unless you don't like it. The main point is they're kissing you."

Jake gave him a searching look to check if he was being teased. He didn't see it on Adam's face or his eyes.

"Listen Jake," Adam put his arm around his younger brother's shoulder. "Sammy's a cute girl. She obviously likes you and is comfortable enough around you to want to kiss you. You're almost twelve and she's ten. You're not going to marry her just because you kiss her."

Jake gave him a very disgusted look.

"You've got a few years before you have to think about marriage," Adam laughed. "Try to get through high school first."

"Oh for…," Jake stalked away from his older brother.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

By the end of roundup, Sam's dad had made arrangements to buy Banjo, the horse that Jake had trained. He praised the way Jake had trained the horse. The big bay Quarter Horse was very responsive to the slightest direction and despite being used as a bucking horse, never tried to buck with Sam's father.

"If Jake can do this with a bucking bronc, then he's going to be quite the horseman when he's older," Wyatt told Luke.

Luke was proud of his son and told him so. Jake just shrugged off the compliments.

Dad loaded up Banjo in the River Bend trailer, promising to send payment to Jake for the horse as soon as he got home. He and Jake shook hands to seal the deal.

"See you in a few days, Sammy," Adam called to her as she got in Dad's truck. Sam smiled and waved at him.

Dad and Gram met each others' eyes. They were going to have to discuss Sam's participation in the annual camping trip.

Once they got home and settled in, Gram picked up the phone to call Maxine at Three Ponies about the camping trip.

"Hi Maxine," Gram greeted the other woman.

"Hi Grace," Maxine responded. "I hear Wyatt bought Jake's horse."

"What a natural with horses that boy is," Gram said. "You'd never know that horse had been a bucking horse."

"That's not why you called though," Maxine was perceptive.

"No," Gram admitted. "It's about the camping trip."

"Sam's still going isn't she?" Maxine asked. "I know the boys would be disappointed if she didn't."

"She's almost at the age where she can't go anymore," Gram said.

"I understand," Maxine murmured. "Has she started her periods?"

"No, not yet," Gram told the other woman. "If she had, there would be no question about her not going."

"I understand," Maxine said. "I'm not sure I'd let my unchaperoned daughter to go overnight camping with the neighbor boys." "Exactly," Gram answered. "However, I do trust your boys. Both Wyatt and I do and always have. Sam tells us that they treat her like their little sister. Even Jake."

"Yes, Jake had sex education this year at school, but he's still pretty clueless," Maxine chuckled. "If he feels anything for Sam, he hides it well. He doesn't give anything away even when his brothers tease him about it. Jake is very protective of her, more like her brother at this point, than a potential boyfriend."

"Which is why I'm not against her going again this year," Gram told her. "Next year, most likely not."

"I'll make sure Adam realizes it," Maxine said.

"I can't believe you have another graduating from high school soon," Gram said.

"I can't believe it either," Maxine laughed. "I'm too young to have sons graduating from high school."

The two women laughed together.

"Has Samantha discovered boys yet?" Maxine asked.

"No," Gram answered. "Her bedroom walls are still covered with horse posters, not posters of boys. The only boy she ever mentions is Jake mostly, sometimes your other sons but just like brothers."

"I think it's harder raising girls than it is boys," Maxine said.

"They can get into a lot more trouble than boys, that's for sure," Gram murmured. "Hopefully we don't have to worry about that for a few more years. Of course, if she ends up with Jake we'll be happy."

"That's how I still feel too," Maxine told the older woman. "So far, they're still friends and we can just hope and pray that when they're old enough they'll realize they have something more."

"Yes," Gram nodded even though Maxine couldn't see it. "I'll let Wyatt know of our conversation, minus the information about our hope for Jake and Sam, of course."

"Of course," Maxine laughed and Gram joined in. "No sense scaring the man before he has to be."

"I'm not sure Wyatt will ever realize that Sam is old enough to date boys, even when she's 30," Gram joked.

"Luke would be the same way with a daughter," Maxine laughed with Gram.

"Thanks Maxine," Gram told the other woman before hanging up.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Sam rode over to Three Ponies on the morning they would be leaving for their camping trip. In her pocket she carried the check for Jake from her father. She felt so grown up that Dad trusted her to make sure Jake got his payment for Banjo.

The ranch yard was busy as the Ely boys were loading their things on the pack horses and making sure they had everything they would need.

Jake spied Sam riding in on George and headed towards her.

"Did you want to load your stuff on one of the pack horses?" he asked.

Sam looked and saw that the two horses looked like they already fully packed. She shook her head. Then she dug into her pocket to pull out Jake's check.

"This is from my dad," Sam handed it to him.

"Thanks," Jake didn't even look at the check, he just ran into the house to put it in a safe place.

That's the way cowboys were. They trusted another cowboy and Jake knew Wyatt wouldn't cheat him out of what he owed for the horse. Jake would either deposit it when he got home or have his mother do it while he was gone.

"Hey Sammy," Quinn called to her and she pulled her eyes from where Jake had disappeared to look at his brother.

"How's Chip?" Sam asked.

Quinn pointed to the pasture and Sam couldn't believe how big the yearling was getting. The brown gelding stood at the pasture nickering for Quinn.

"Oh he's cute," Sam said, a smile on her face.

"He'd rather be handsome, but I'm sure that will come," Quinn teased.

"You're a handsome boy, Chip," Sam called to the young horse.

"Gosh Sam, that's embarrassing," Jake told her as he trotted past towards his horse.

Sam stuck out her tongue at him. Jake didn't see it, but Quinn and Bryan did and grinned at her. Quinn gave Jake the raspberries behind his back and Sam couldn't help giggle.

Jake turned at the sound, but Sam wiped the amusement from her face. She didn't quite pull it off, Jake noticed and he gave her a lop-sided grin.

"Someone's lookin' for a dunkin'," Jake gave her his tomcat grin.

"Someone else is looking for a splashing," Sam told him.

"Dunkin' beats splashin'," Jake countered.

"Depends on who's doing the splashing," Sam raised both eyebrows at her friend.

Jake chuckled.

"Fat boy," Sam added and Jake burst out laughing.

Maxine looked to the two of them and smiled. Yes indeed, she could see the two of them together after they both finished college.

Jake swung in his saddle and rode close to Sam. He pulled her hat down over her eyes and laughed when she swung blindly at him until she pulled the hat up.

"Buzz, buzz," Jake teased.

Sam laughed. He hadn't reminded her of his horse and mosquito dream in awhile.

"Maybe I wasn't a mosquito but a bee?" Sam asked almost hopefully. "Then I could sting you."

"Nah, you're just an annoying pest," Jake countered.

"You two ready?" Adam mounted his horse, dallying the lead rope of one of the pack horses around his saddle horn.

"Waiting on you," Jake told him with his superior tomcat grin.

"I can still kick your ass," Adam reminded him with a grin of his own.

"Not for very much longer," Jake gave it right back to him.

"Wanna bet?" Adam wasn't budging.

"You boys stop that," Maxine told them and both Adam and Jake laughed.

"How weird does it feel not to have Kit with us?" Nate asked, leading the other pack horse.

"Less fish for Sammy to have to catch," Bryan pointed out with a grin at Sam.

Sam frowned. "I miss him."

"You're the only one," Quinn laughed, riding next to her. "Now we need to get Adam and Nate out of the house next."

"You have a few years to wait, little man," Nate told him.

"I can wait," Quinn grinned at him. Sam gave him a grin as she rode next to her.

Later, Bryan handed her a bottle of water and a bit of beef jerky. She smiled her thanks, remembering the first time she had rode out with the Elys. She had been so unprepared. Now though she knew what to expect.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Sam's job was spreading out the sleeping bags. She hesitated, not sure if she and Jake would be sharing one again this year. Usually they did because she got cold and his body heat kept her warm.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked as he brought supplies to the camp.

She pointed at their sleeping bags.

"It's up to you, but it's supposed to be in the 40s tonight," Jake shrugged.

"Okay, I guess I'll keep you warm then," Sam teased.

Jake barked out a laugh. He had camped in much colder weather than this and they both knew it.

Quinn was down by the lake catching their dinner. "Hey, I found a turtle!" he shouted.

Jake quickly glanced at Sam and saw her face fall.

"Let's have races later," Quinn was yelling to anyone who could hear him.

Sam's brown eyes were large in her face as she remembered finding Jake the turtle squashed on the road. Her bottom lip started to tremble as her tear filled eyes met Jake's.

"He doesn't know," Jake murmured to her.

Sam nodded, wiping her eyes.

When he was sure Sam was okay, he casually strolled down to the lake.

"Hey Quinn," Jake got his older brother's attention. "Can you not say anything about turtles?"

"Why?" Quinn asked. Jake saw that Adam, Bryan and Nate were listening too.

"Sam's turtle was killed," Jake rubbed the back of his neck. "She's still a bit upset about it."

"Over a turtle?" Quinn yelped with a laugh. "It wasn't even hers."

"She thought it was," Jake shrugged, and Quinn saw something in Jake's eye.

"So I can never mention turtles again?" Quinn asked.

"Not yet," Jake responded.

"Oh for crying out loud," Quinn muttered. "It was a stinkin' turtle. Maybe you need to tell your girlfriend about puppy soup."

"Oh that would go over well," Adam said. "Quinn, Sam's very softhearted. You know that."

"She's liable to cork you one if you ever mention puppy soup," Bryan said.

"Well I've never had it," Quinn reminded them. "Grandfather told us about it."

"I doubt he ever had it either," Nate responded.

"Just be careful what you say," Jake said to Quinn.

"Or what?"

Jake straightened to his full height, which was about the same as Quinn's. Quinn straightened too and before Nate could get between them, Jake jumped Quinn and started flailing away at him with his fists.

Sam heard the commotion at the camp and dropped what she was doing to run down to see what was going on. Her hands covered her mouth as she watched the two brothers fighting. Jake had Quinn pinned and was hitting him as Adam grabbed at Jake, trying to pull him off. Bryan was trying to get between the two just as Nate did.

"That's what," Jake retorted at Quinn, who was standing up and wiping the small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Jakey's growing up," Quinn said with a grin.

Sam couldn't believe that Quinn was teasing Jake after being beat up by his little brother. She'd never understand boys. If this had been girls, they'd never speak again.

"Get back to fishing, Quinn," Adam told him. "Jake go turn out the horses."

Quinn and Jake gave each other looks before Jake went to where the horses were.

"I'm sorry to hear about your turtle, Sammy," Nate told her, putting an arm around her shoulder and leading her back towards camp.

Sam ducked her head and nodded, not really wanting to talk about it.

"If we do frog races again this year, I'll help you kick Quinn's frog's butt," Adam winked at her, causing Sam to give him a smile.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

They were eating a dinner of fish and berries as they sat around the campfire.

"How's your colt doing, Sammy?" Adam asked.

"Good," Sam smiled as she always did talking about Blackie.

"His name is Blackie?" Bryan asked.

Sam nodded.

"That's because he's a bay, right?" Quinn teased.

Sam hit him.

"This coming from the guy with the brown colt named Chocolate Chip?" Jake raised an eyebrow at his brother.

"Blame Sammy, she picked the name," Quinn grinned at Sam.

"Which is why I named my own foal," Jake laughed, earning a punch from Sam.

The rest of the Ely brothers laughed.

"He leading yet?" Nate wondered. He flicked his eyes to Jake, who he knew was helping Sam with the training.

"Yes," Sam nodded. "He will follow me all over the ranch yard."

"Wow, that's pretty good for a young foal," Adam told her.

He smiled when Sam beamed.

"Jake's filly isn't the best at being led yet," Bryan said with a grin at Jake's dirty look.

"She's a female," Jake shrugged.

"What's that mean?" Sam crossed her arms over her chest. The rest of them grinned.

"It means she doesn't like to be led," Jake teased.

"She's not blond," Sam pointed out with her own shrug. Jake burst out laughing.

She shoved him and he shoved her back.

"All right you two," Nate laughed. "We don't want to have Sammy beating up Jake and having to explain it to Mom."

"Ha ha," Jake rolled his eyes at Nate.

"I brought marshmallows," Sam announced.

"We brought everything for s'mores," Quinn smiled.

"S'mores," Sam repeated the word correctly the first time and Jake nodded at her. "I still haven't had them."

"They're great," Adam told her. "We'll make sure you get the first one."

"Says who?" Quinn challenged. "I brought the stuff."

"Says me, you moron," Adam gave it right back to him. Quinn grinned and Adam knew then Quinn was just teasing Sam.

"Go get your marshmallows, Sammy," Quinn went to one of the bags and rummaged through it looking for the stuff for the s'mores.

Sam grabbed her bag and withdrew the marshmallows. The bag was a bit squished and she tried to fluff them up again.

"Don't worry about it, Brat," Jake told her. "We'll just smush them down again."

"Oh okay," Sam crawled back over with the bag of marshmallows.

"Let me get some sticks," Jake got up and went to the brush and pulled off enough sticks for five of them. He handed them to everyone but Quinn and sat back down.

"Where's mine?" Quinn wondered.

Jake pointed at the brush, grinning his tomcat lying in the sun grin at his brother.

Quinn mumbled something under his breath and Bryan laughingly put his hands over Sam's ears. The rest of the Elys laughed while Sam looked confused.

Sam put her marshmallow on her stick and thrust it into the fire to blacken.

"So Sammy, are you naming your marshmallow Blackie?" Quinn asked when he came back.

"Oh shut up," Sam grumbled at him. The guys, including Quinn, laughed.

Once her marshmallow was the desired color for her, she removed it from the fire. Jake grabbed the s'mores supplies from near Quinn and put the piece of chocolate between the two graham crackers.

"Put the marshmallow in the middle," Jake instructed her.

When she did, he pressed everything together and handed it to her.

"Careful, it's hot," Jake warned her.

Adam and Nate glanced at each other with a grin. Jakey was being protective of Sam again.

They all watched while Sam took a bite. Her eyes got big in her face as the flavor of the s'mores reached her tastebuds.

"Oh that is good," Sam moaned, licking the chocolate from her lips. "Once in awhile you guys have a great idea."

Jake snorted as his brothers laughed. Sam giggled, then yelped when she almost dropped her s'more.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Sam ended up half on top of Jake the next morning. It had been really cold during the night and the two of them had gravitated towards the other for their body warmth while in the sleeping bag.

"Look at those two," Adam whispered to Nate, as the two of them woke up.

The two brothers glanced at each other, grins on their faces. Adam had told Nate previously what he and Kit had thought, written down and put away until Sam was nineteen and Jake was twenty one. Nate had told Adam that he agreed. He too could see Sam and Jake ending up together.

"My gosh, Wyatt would have a fit if he knew his ten year old daughter was sleeping on a boy," Adam chuckled.

"What do you think Jake's reaction is going to be?" Nate wondered.

"If he's the first one awake, he'll push her away," Adam predicted. "Especially if he knows anyone else is up and could see."

"But…?" Nate raised an eyebrow.

"But, I think he likes her deep down, but would never admit it," Adam said.

"I think so too," Nate nodded. "Time will tell."

The two of them got out of their sleeping bags, Adam putting fresh wood on the fire.

Just then Jake stretched, his eyes still closed. His older brothers watched as one eye opened, surprised to find Sam laying on him. Sure enough, he pushed her off and she spooned into his side instead. Both Adam and Nate grinned at each other.

Almost as if he knew it, Jake opened his other eye, seeing his older brothers watching him. Jake gave them both dirty looks as he sat up. The air was still cold. He could see his breath.

"Cold, huh?" Nate asked.

"Very," Jake responded. "Hard to believe this is July."

"I'm not sure I'm going anywhere near that water today," Adam said with a laugh.

"Afraid of shrinkage?" Nate laughed.

Jake snorted.

"Not hardly," Adam grinned. "Freezing my boys off maybe, but not shrinkage."

All three guys laughed.

"What's funny?" Quinn yawned.

"Adams worried about freezing his boys off," Nate told him.

"Doing what?" Bryan asked.

Jake happened to glance at Sam and saw she was awake.

"Uh, morning Brat," Jake said, glancing back at Adam.

Adam just grinned. "Not until the sixth grade."

The five Elys grinned at each other.

"What's not until the sixth grade?" Sam asked.

"You'll find out in the sixth grade," Quinn told her.

Sam rolled her eyes.

"Are we going swimming today?" Sam wondered.

She was really confused when all five guys started to laugh.

"The water's prolly cold," Jake warned her.

"Oh," Sam sat up and looked towards the lake. "Then what are we going to do today?"

"Frog races," Adam said and Sam smiled at him. "You get ready for the day, we'll have breakfast and then we'll have some frog races."

"Then we can play cards," Bryan put in. "I need to get back what I lost to Jake the other night."

"You can dream big brother," Jake told him.

"What did you win?" Sam asked when everyone was up and getting ready for the day.

"Nothin'," Jake chuckled. "We don't really play for anything besides braggin' rights. We pretend like it's money or something."

"Oh," Sam nodded. "I miss so much by not having any brothers and sisters."

"You got us," Jake reminded her.

Sam was surprised, but pleased.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

They found out when they went down to the lake to fish for breakfast that the water wasn't cold. It was actually quite warm.

"Must be a hot spring," Bryan said. Adam nodded.

"The boys will be happy," Nate snorted. That got all five of the Elys laughing. Poor Sam was confused again.

"I do have a surprise for you though, Sammy," Adam told her.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"If I told you now, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" Adam grinned.

Sam stuck her tongue out at him. Adam laughed.

"Some day, Sammy," Adam teased.

"Some day what?" Sam wondered.

"Some day you're going to do that to someone and they'll…," Bryan began.

"Stop it," Jake cut him off.

Sam looked between the two brothers. Then her eyes got large as she figured it out. She remembered Jake telling her that Kit had kissed a girl with his tongue.

"No," Sam shuddered. "That's icky."

Adam, Nate, Quinn and Bryan snorted.

"You say that now," Quinn teased.

Jake gave Quinn a look, but Quinn just grinned.

"So you've never done it?" Bryan asked with his own grin.

"No!" Sam yelped. "Gross! I'll never do that."

"Sucks for Jakey," Quinn murmured under his breath, but Jake heard him.

He gave Quinn another look, but Quinn just grinned that annoying grin at him.

After they ate, Adam revealed his surprise to Sam. It was a long rope. She looked at it in confusion.

"You're going to teach me to rope?" Sam asked.

"It's not that kind of rope," Jake snorted.

"Oh," Sam stuck out her tongue at him, then remembered what his brothers had teased her about and quickly sucked it back into her mouth.

Four out of the five Ely brothers snorted.

"Jake's going to climb that tree there and tie the rope on that branch," Adam pointed.

"Oh am I?" Jake responded.

"You're the lightest one," Adam shrugged. "The branch prolly wouldn't hold the rest of us."

Jake looked up at the tree and saw the size of the branch and how high up it was.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Then we can swing on it into the lake," Bryan told her.

Sam pictured it in her mind. "You're insane."

That got all of the Ely brothers laughing.

"Like we've never heard that before," Nate chuckled.

Adam handed Jake the rope and he started climbing the tree. Sam watched from the ground, holding her breath as he went higher and higher. Finally, he moved an inch at a time on his belly across the branch that Adam had indicated. Jake started tying the knots in the rope securely on the branch.

"Go get your bathing suit on, Sammy," Adam said.

Sam nodded, then ran up to camp to change.

"Um, how are we going to swing on the rope with little Sammy around?" Bryan asked.

"We'll have to wear our underwear," Nate shrugged.

"You think wet underwear is going to hide anything?" Quinn laughed.

"I'm thinking more of wet rope burns," Nate laughed with his brother.

Bryan groaned as Adam chuckled.

"Tie it tight, Jakey," Adam shouted up to his little brother.

"Duh," Jake shouted back.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

When he was done, he managed to wrap his legs around the rope as he hung on with his arms, then wiggled down the rope to the ground.

"Good job, little man," Nate told him as they began to strip out of their clothes.

Adam was the first one done and grabbed the rope. He backed up the bank and then started running towards the lake. Adam hung onto the rope and waited until he was over the lake before letting go. He heard his brothers yelling as he leapt off to go flying through the air before hitting the water.

"Cool!" Nate grabbed the rope as it swung back and then copied his older brother.

Sam had come up by that time and shook her head at the insane Ely boys. She ignored the ones in their underwear on the bank as each took their turn with the rope.

"No way," Sam muttered.

"Chicken," Jake teased as it was finally his turn. He whooped as he flew through the air.

"Come on Sammy," Nate called from the lake.

"No way," Sam shook her head, yelling back at him.

"I don't think she's strong enough to hold on," Adam said. He started towards the shore and got out of the water.

"I'll help you, Sammy," Adam told her.

"Uh uh," Sam took a step back from him.

"Come on, you'll have fun," Adam chided her. He grabbed the rope. "Get on my back and we'll go for a ride."

Sam took another step back, sure he was crazy.

"Come on, Brat," Jake urged her from the lake.

Sam looked at Jake, then up at the rope, then at Adam who was smiling in encouragement at her.

Finally, against her better judgment and knowing Gram and Dad would be upset if they knew, Sam nodded.

"Atta girl," Adam waved his hand so she'd come closer. He helped her get comfortable, piggy back on his back before getting ready.

"Hold on, but then let go of me when I tell you, okay?" Adam looked over his shoulder at her.

Sam took in a deep breath and nodded. Adam felt her nod.

"Here we go," Adam told her and started to back up. Then he was running and Sam was screaming in his ear.

Her screams got louder as they swung on the rope over the lake. Then he let go and they were flying through the air.

"Now Sammy," Adam yelled. Sam let go of him and she felt herself launch further off of him. She felt so high in the air then she started to drop. Screaming even louder, she grabbed her nose the instant before she hit the water.

When she surfaced, she saw five brown faces anxiously looking at her gauging her reaction. All five of them wondered if she'd chicken out on doing it again.

"Cool!" Sam exclaimed. "Can I do it again?"

All five of the brown faces either grinned or smiled at her.

"You bet," Nate told her, starting towards the shore with Sam following him.

They took turns taking Sam for a ride on the rope. Each time she screamed as she sailed through the air, almost deafening the one whose back she was on, but wanting to do it again as soon as she surfaced.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

"That was great," Sam said later as they sat around and ate lunch which consisted of even more fish and berries. Sam had a few marshmallows for desert.

The five Elys grinned at her.

"Glad you had fun, Sammy," Adam told her.

"I thought for sure you'd chicken out," Quinn teased.

"Shows you what you know," Sam taunted him right back, earning grins from all of them.

"Yep, she's now officially part of the family," Bryan put his arm around her shoulder.

"I thought I already was," Sam looked up at him.

"You just earned another spot," Bryan shrugged with a grin.

"Okay," Sam rolled her eyes, popping another berry into her mouth.

"So sassy at just ten," Nate shook his head with a grin. "What's she gonna be like when she's sixteen?"

"Sammy will be sweet sixteen and never been kissed," Quinn teased.

Just for a second, Sam's and Jake's eyes met. It was so quick that none of the others noticed.

"I don't need to be kissed," Sam told Quinn.

"I'll kiss you on your sixteen birthday, Sammy," Quinn promised.

"Oh yuck," Sam made a show of wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

All of the Elys, including Quinn, started to laugh.

"She's not blond," Adam reminded Quinn.

"I like her anyway," Quinn grinned at Sam.

"I'm not kissing boys," Sam shook her head. "Never, ever."

Jake remembered her telling him that she'd never kiss him again because he'd made a stupid remark.

"You say that now," Bryan teased.

"It's not going to change," Sam gave him a glare.

"Are we betting?" Quinn asked.

"I'll bet you," Sam dared.

"Really?" Quinn was surprised. He glanced at Jake whose face was blanked out as he watched them. "Sucks for…"

Jake's eyes narrowed and Quinn broke off.

"Okay Sammy," Quinn turned back to Sam. "I bet that between now and your sixteenth birthday you'll kiss a boy."

"On the lips," Bryan clarified. "On the cheek doesn't count."

"Okay," Sam stuck out her hand and Quinn shook it.

Adam was watching Jake and saw the surprise in his eyes for an instant.

"You know that's six years, Sammy," Nate told her.

"I know how to add, Nate," Sam responded.

"Do you know how long six years is?" Bryan asked.

"It won't matter," Sam shrugged. Her eyes refused to flick to Jake. She knew not kissing someone for six years wouldn't be hard. There was no one she wanted to kiss now that she had vowed never to kiss Jake again.

"What happens if she loses the bet?" Jake asked.

"I get to kiss her," Quinn grinned. Sam frowned. "With tongue."

"Eww," Sam shuddered. "What if I win?"

"Then you get to kiss me," Quinn's grin grew. "With tongue."

"Eww," Sam shuddered again. "I'd rather kiss a frog."

"Either way you will be," Adam laughed.

"Har, har," Quinn slugged his brother's shoulder as Nate and Bryan laughed.

Anyone looking at Jake right then would have seen he didn't look very happy.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

The summer passed quickly for Sam after the campout. Before she was ready, it was time to head back to school.

Gram took her shopping in Darton since Sam had a growth spurt and not many of her clothes fit her. Gram tried to talk Sam into a cute dress, but Sam crossed her arms over her chest and refused. She remembered what had happened the last time she wore one to school and this time Jake wouldn't be there to help her.

That little fact was too painful for Sam to even think about. She couldn't imagine going to school without Jake being there.

She had seen Jake the day before school had started. He had noticed right away that she was acting pouty about something. They were out at War Drum Flats after Jake had tracked her across the playa.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked as they sat on a boulder.

"Nothing," Sam wouldn't look at him.

Jake studied her as she sat next to him.

"Fifth grade isn't bad," Jake told her.

"I know," Sam murmured.

"I'll still be your friend," Jake said quietly.

Sam's head jerked up and he knew he had found what was bothering her.

"You're going to owe me dinner," Jake teased with a grin.

"McDonalds," Sam teased back.

"Nuh uh," Jake shook his head. "I'll drive us into Darton to the most expensive place I can find."

"You can't drive," Sam scoffed.

"I will by then," Jake reminded her. "You might be." He snorted.

Sam thought about that for a few minutes. He was right. Gosh, in six years he'd be almost eighteen and she'd be sixteen. Sam counted on her fingers. He would have graduated high school that summer. She looked up at him.

"Hard to believe, huh?" Jake said.

"How do you do that?" Sam wondered. Sometimes it seemed that he could read her mind.

"You'll never have a poker face," Jake grinned.

"What's that?"

"Doesn't matter since you'll never have one," Jake laughed as she hit him. "Just don't hit anyone in school now that I'll not be there to protect them."

"I don't want to hit anyone," Sam declared. Then she glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Except for Daisy."

"Try and resist," Jake told her. "You don't want to get suspended."

"It might be worth it," Sam laughed.

Jake didn't deny it and the two smiled at each other. Then Sam's smile faded.

"I will miss you," Sam hated saying the words, but they were the truth.

"I'm not moving to Timbuktu," Jake reminded her.

"Just middle school," Sam sighed. "I'll be all alone."

Jake was uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what he could tell her to make her feel better. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'll still come over and help you with Blackie," Jake said.

"Will you?"

"I said I would," Jake responded.

"I can't wait until I can ride him," Sam mused, looking over the lake as the image of her riding him ran through her head.

"When he's two," Jake said. "When you graduate from sixth grade."

"How come everything happens in the sixth grade?" Sam asked.

Jake colored, thinking of Sam having the sex education classes then. Sam noticed and sighed loudly. Jake looked down at her and saw her watching him.

"Don't look at me," Jake shook his head. He still couldn't imagine Sam having breasts and periods. Jake shuddered.

"Sixth grade is horrible isn't it?" Sam asked.

Jake rubbed his neck again.

"Nah," he told her but he didn't sound convincing even to himself.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Fifth grade flew by for Sam. She missed not riding to school with Jake and seeing him at lunch and on the playground, but he had been right. They still saw each other after school.

Jake came over every other day or so, regardless of the weather, and walked Sam through training Blackie. Together they got the colt so he was used to being handled, leading and standing for having his feet cleaned and shod.

Jake didn't think he was old enough to actually put shoes on yet, but he wanted him prepared. Blackie stood solid and having his feet messed with didn't bother him.

The only thing they disagreed on was having him gelded. Jake didn't believe in keeping stallions, especially for someone as young as Sam. In his opinion, stallions were only for experienced people and not for someone who was not quite eleven years old.

He wanted to talk to Wyatt about it, but Sam threatened never to speak to him again if he did.

"Sam, you can't own a stallion," Jake reasoned.

"Yes, I can," Sam crossed her arms over her chest.

"They're big, strong and can really hurt you," Jake said.

She just lifted her chin and tightened her arms.

"Gosh, you're stubborn," Jake complained.

"Am not," Sam countered.

Jake gave her a look. "You can't say that with a straight face."

"Yes I can," Sam demonstrated.

Jake's mouth twitched, he couldn't help it.

"Don't blame me if that stallion has you for lunch some day," Jake finally said.

"He won't," Sam was sure. "He loves me."

"Yeah, but one day he's going to love mares more," Jake muttered.

So they argued about it off and on as Blackie got bigger and stronger. Jake just didn't have a good feeling about it, but let it go, hoping that Sam's father would realize that a stallion didn't make a good horse for her.

Witch though was coming along brilliantly. She was totally devoted to Jake, just as he had hoped. He could make her do just about anything with just a look or a touch. He couldn't wait to get up on her back, but it would be awhile yet. Jake didn't like to get on a filly's back until they were at least two.

In the meantime, he worked her on the ground until she would do any gait he asked of her on command. She switched leads with a minor lean on his part. She was always watching him for the slightest indication that he wanted something of her.

Despite all that, Jake knew he would never be a push button horse. Even at a young age, she was temperamental and thought she was the queen of all the other horses.

Poor Rocky and Chip were tormented by Witch if they tried to eat before her or drink before her. Nate had just gotten a new horse named Digger and if he or any of the other horses tried to get attention before Witch, they paid for it with a bite or a kick.

His brothers complained to him about it, but Jake knew she was just being a filly. Grandfather had warned him that fillies could be temperamental. Though Grandfather hadn't come right out and said it, he implied it was the way of most females.

"You must treat them carefully," Grandfather warned him.

"Are we talkin' horses or humans?" Jake had joked.

"Both," Grandfather grinned. "Their hormones can rule them more than they do males, since they cycle." Jake had blushed but nodded. "However, once you earn their love they are loyal."

Jake had looked, startled, at his Grandfather.

"I will leave it to you to decide whether I am talking horses or humans, Jacob," Mac had said with a lopsided grin. If anyone had seen it, they would know where Jake got his own lopsided grin.

"Something tells me both," Jake chuckled. "I will remember, Grandfather."

"You will be a happy man if you do," Mac threw back his head as a smile spread over his face.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Once summer came around, Sam was able to spend more time with her colt. After roundup, she and Jake worked with him everyday. He was soon as responsive to Sam as Witch was with Jake.

Jake promised Sam that this time next year she could get on Blackie's back for the first time. Sam was excited by the prospect.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to go camping with the Elys this year until Gram talked to her privately. Gram told her that this year was probably the last year she would be allowed to go with the boys.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"You'll be becoming a young woman soon and it's just not right for a young woman to camp overnight with a bunch of boys," Gram told her.

"Even if they're my brothers?" Sam had tilted her head to ask her.

"But they're not really your brothers, Samantha," Gram answered, tucking a strand of hair behind Sam's ear.

"We think we are," Sam reasoned.

"But you're not," Gram shook her head. "You don't quite understand what I'm talking about yet."

"Does this have something to do with the sixth grade?" Sam sighed.

Gram was surprised. "Why do you ask?"

"It seems like everyone always tells me that something will be explained in the sixth grade," Sam said with another deep sigh.

"I don't know about that, but you'll probably become a woman next year or the next," Gram told her.

"I'm not one now?" Sam was confused.

"You're still a young girl," Gram explained patiently. "You don't become a woman until you start your menses or your period. You know how the girl horses start to bleed every month?"

Sam nodded, but cringed at the thought of that happening to her. Good grief! How was she supposed to play with Jake if she was bleeding? Her clothes would get all ruined and she would gross him out. She shuddered.

"You don't need to worry about all of that now," Gram said. "But I wanted to explain why you wouldn't be able to go camping with the boys once you started."

Sam still didn't get it, but figured they wouldn't want her anywhere near them when she bled like a mare. She sure wouldn't want her near her then either, if the situation was reversed.

Sam sat in her room after Gram left. She was supposed to be getting her things ready for the camping trip, but she thought about what Gram had told her. Her life was going to suck. She didn't want to become a woman if that's what happened.

Maybe Jake wouldn't want to be around her at all then. She felt the tears well up in her eyes as she thought about her friend not wanting her around because of something her body did.

She remembered the first time she had camped with the Elys. Jake had explained to her that if she had to go, someone would stay close by while they were on the trail while she did. When she had been embarrassed, he had calmly shrugged and reminded her that everyone did it.

However, not everyone did what her body was going to be doing. Just women. That sucked, big time. Was she supposed to stay home from school, which wouldn't be too bad, while she bled? She should have asked Gram how long women bled for.

Sam knew the mares were cranky when they bled. Were women? Gram was cranky sometimes. Was that when she was bleeding?

Sam put her face in her hands wishing Gram hadn't told her. Now she'd be checking her underpants every time she went to the bathroom to see if she started bleeding.

Sam groaned. Why couldn't she have been born a boy?


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

After roundup Sam rode George over to Three Ponies for her camping time with the Elys. Mrs. Ely greeted her warmly.

"I'm so happy to see you, Samantha," Maxine gave her a hug. Sam loved Jake's mom's hugs. She sighed, barely remembering her own mother anymore. It seemed so long since she had a mother to hug. Sam missed it and always looked forward to seeing Mrs. Ely and getting one of her hugs.

Sam smiled at Jake's mom.

"Look how big you're getting," Maxine exclaimed when Sam dismounted from George.

"Sammy's a shrimp," Quinn teased as he walked by.

"Compared to you anyone's a shrimp," Sam gave it right back to him.

Maxine laughed. "Atta girl, Sam. He needs someone to sass him back."

"Oh Sam's good at that," Jake joked, coming out of the house.

Sam stuck her tongue out at him and Jake just laughed. He was used to it by now. Maxine smiled at the two of them, loving the by-play between them.

"You have fun, Samantha," Maxine gave her another hug. "You keep those boys of mine on their toes."

"Aw Mom," Quinn complained. "Don't encourage her."

Maxine laughed as she kissed all her sons before they mounted their horses. Sam watched as Maxine kissed Jake. Hmm, seems he didn't like being kissed by her either, judging by the blush. Regardless, Sam sure wasn't going to kiss him again. Besides, she had a bet to win with Quinn.

With a final wave at Maxine, Sam rode out with her sons.

"Gonna go on the rope this year, Sammy?" Bryan asked as he rode next to her.

"I went on the rope last year," Sam reminded him.

"Not by yourself," Bryan teased.

"I still went," Sam said.

"Screaming the whole way," Bryan laughed.

"I still went," Sam said again with a smile.

"I'll give you that," Bryan gave her a nod.

"Now I can breathe easy," Sam rolled her eyes. Bryan laughed harder and Sam gave him a sassy grin.

As they rode along, Sam was sad to think this was probably her last year to go with them. She still hated the idea of becoming a woman. Being a woman sucked! None of these guys would want anything to do with her, she just knew it.

She glanced over at Jake as he rode nearby. She couldn't see his face under his black Stetson. He rode his horse so well. He really was going to be an awesome horseman. Oh heck, he already was and he was just twelve. He would be thirteen in October and was already better than most grown men when it came to horses.

As if he felt her gaze, he turned his head and lifted his eyes to hers.

"You doin' okay?" he asked.

Sam merely nodded.

Jake gave her a half smile.

She continued to watch him, seeing for the first time the stronger jaw on his face. His face was changing. She had just noticed it. Jake was definitely becoming a man.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Sam was subdued most of the time she was camping, realizing that it would be her last time. The boys noticed it but were unsure as to why she was so subdued. They tried to jolly her out of it by teasing her and each other.

"What's wrong Sammy?" Adam asked her. She had gone down to the lake to sit on a boulder, her feet trailing through the water. When she just shook her head, Adam sat down next to her.

"Are you mad at us?" Adam wondered.

Sam looked up in surprise. "No."

"Mad at Jakey?"

"No," Sam shook her head.

"The twins didn't say something stupid did they?"

"No more than usual," Sam shook her head again. "I'm not mad."

"Sad?"

When Sam didn't answer, Adam knew he had hit on what was bothering her.

"Why are you sad, Sammy?"

She just shook her head again, ducking it down against her chest.

"Are you missing your colt?" Adam asked.

Sam shook her head.

Adam heard her take a deep breath, then let it out.

"I can't come anymore," Sam's voice was full of sadness.

"With us?" Adam was surprised.

Sam nodded.

"Why?"

He saw the blush on Sam's face. Adam wondered about it. He couldn't think why she wouldn't be allowed out with them anymore. As far as he knew, none of them had done anything to warrant this. They treated her like a sister since she was just eleven years old. Even though he, Kit and Nate thought that Jake and Sam would end up together, none of them, not even Jake treated her any differently than they would if she had been their sister.

_Eleven years old! Sam's blush._

Suddenly Adam knew.

"I'm sorry, Sammy," Adam murmured. "We'll miss not having our little sister with us."

He heard her sniffle and put his arm around her shoulder. Adam felt badly for her. Poor thing probably didn't quite understand it all right now either.

"I guess we'll have to make this camping trip memorable for you and extra special," Adam said. "When you feel like it, come back up and you and I will team up and kick some younger brother butt in frog races, okay?"

Sam nodded, sniffling again. Adam gave her a squeeze and left her.

"What's wrong with Sammy?" Nate asked when Adam returned to the camp.

"She can't come with us anymore," Adam told his brothers.

"Why not?" Jake wondered, looking down to where Sam was still sitting by the lake.

"Next year she'll be twelve," Adam said, meaningfully.

"Yeah so?" Bryan shrugged. Jake and Quinn nodded, not understanding at first.

"What do most twelve year old girls start doing?" Adam spelled it out to them.

Jake colored and looked away.

"Oh," Bryan and Quinn said together.

"Sammy's close to becoming a woman," Nate murmured. "I'm sure camping with a bunch of guys wouldn't look good."

"She's our sister," Bryan stated.

"Yeah, but not legally," Adam countered.

"She is where it matters most," Quinn retorted.

"Her reputation could be hurt if other people knew she camped out over night with guys not related to her," Adam explained, watching Jake who still hadn't said anything.

"Stupid," they heard him mutter to himself.

"Might be, Jakey," Nate agreed, "but you can't blame her family. Girls' reputations mean a lot to folks. More than a guy's reputation."

"Double standards," Quinn said.

"Absolutely," Adam pinned Quinn with his dark eyes. "Remember that. You can hurt a girl's reputation by saying things about them which aren't true too."

Quinn and Bryan nodded. Jake rubbed the back of his neck. Then he lifted his head and looked down the trail towards the lake. The rest of them looked and saw Sam coming slowly towards them.

"I promised Sammy that her and I were going to kick your asses in frog races," Adam announced with a laugh.

"Oh you think so, huh?" Nate laughed. "Hey Sammy."

Sam seemed shy around the guys and merely raised her hand.

"If you want to win at frog races you should have promised to team up with me," Quinn told her.

"Come on Sammy, let's go find us the best frog," Adam picked her up, causing her to shriek in surprise and ran back down to the water with her in his arms.

Nate, Bryan and Quinn ran after them, laughing. Jake followed a few moments later.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Sam would remember that camping trip for a long time. The guys kept her entertained after that, trying to make the camping trip a special one for her. Even Jake didn't complain when she hogged the sleeping bag that they slept in. He helped her fish, baiting and taking the fish off the hook for her without complaint.

They swung on the rope so much that all the boys complained about blisters on their hands. Since the guys had grown since last summer and strengthened, they were able to go higher and further when they swung. Sam's peal of laughter and her screams could be heard throughout the valley most of their time there.

They played water polo with the football that Bryan had brought along. Sam wasn't the best swimmer, but Nate patiently taught her how to swim better so she too could play water polo with them. One of them was always nearby, even if they were on the opposite team, in case she needed their help in the water.

The last night, they ate themselves sick with the s'mores ingredients that they had brought with them again this year. Sam swore she had marshmallow coming out of her ears, she had eaten so many of them.

Sam hugged and kissed each and every one of them before they broke camp for home, making sure she didn't kiss any of them on the lips and lose the bet with Quinn. Quinn noticed and laughed at her. Sam stuck her tongue out at him in response earning laughs from the rest of the guys.

As they rode home, Jake rode nearby. She felt his gaze on her every once in awhile. Sam looked up at him, catching him once. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"I'll come over tomorrow and we'll work some more with Blackie," Jake told her.

"Okay," Sam nodded.

"Maybe we'll pony him," Jake said and smiled when Sam's face lit up.

"Great," Sam gushed.

"We'll see how he goes, but we might be able to take him to War Drum Flats," Jake continued.

Sam didn't say anymore. She didn't have to. Her face, particularly her smile said it all.

Jake met the eyes of Adam who nodded at him. Jake broke off eye contact which made Adam grin.

Adam was curious to see how Jake's and Sam's friendship played out once she became a woman and started developing as one. Maybe he needed to have another talk with Jake about how Sam might be as confused as he was over all of this.

Not that Adam thought that Jake would ever tease Sam about her developing body when it happened. Their mother had drilled it into all of her sons never to tease a girl, especially a teenage girl, about her body and/or its functions.

Adam found it hard to believe that little Sammy was on the brink of becoming a woman. He still remembered the shy little girl who had stood outside of the family van wondering where she was going to fit until Kit opened his arms to her. How she had curled up so trustingly in Kit's arms and slept on the way home.

Adam glanced at Jake, then Sam again. He still felt that by the time they were both out of high school that the two of them would be committed to each other. He needed to call Kit and tell him what was going on.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

On the first day of sixth grade, Sam went into her classroom knowing that this would be the start of her last year in elementary school. She would soon be a teenager. Gram had tried to get Sam to get a couple of skirts when they had gone school clothes shopping again, but Sam had resisted. Gram had finally sighed and given up.

Sam greeted her friends Ann and Linda. As the first day went on, they realized that for once and finally they were the oldest kids in school. They looked at each other and started to giggle. They were sixth graders!

They caught up, telling each other what they did over the summer. Both Ann and Linda were worried about their ranches. Sam didn't understand everything they said, but she could tell their ranches weren't doing very well.

She had overheard Gram saying something to Dad about cattle prices being down, but Sam hadn't paid that close attention. She asked Jake when she saw him. She knew he'd answer her questions without making her feel like a fool or a little girl.

Jake patiently explained to Sam how the price for beef had fallen again and all the ranches were hurting. He warned her that some of them could go broke. They were pretty secure at Three Ponies because they also bred, trained and sold horses and that they didn't limit their herd to just one kind of cattle.

Jake thought River Bend was doing okay, but he wasn't sure since he was privy to their information. He hadn't heard his father say anything about it. Mr. Ely had mentioned that the ranch next to hers, the Diamond K owned by the Kenworthy family was in trouble. Sam had never met them, but did faintly remember the skinny blond girl with the glasses that she had seen that day at the fair so long ago. That girl was home schooled which was why Sam didn't know her.

The biggest change from the summer was the small bumps on Linda's chest. Ann and Sam were surprised to see them when Linda took off her light coat.

"Wow," Sam looked down at her still flat chest before looking back at Linda's chest in wonderment.

"When did you get those?" Ann had to ask.

"Not long ago," Linda whispered. "I woke up one morning with my chest hurting and then these started to pop out."

"The same day?" Sam's mouth dropped.

"No, silly," Linda giggled. "It took awhile and Mom says I'm not done yet."

"I'd be happy with those at this point," Ann said and Sam nodded.

Then during class, Sam saw some of the boys starting at Linda's new breasts and changed her mind. Some of the looks were like leers. Suddenly, Linda seemed popular with the boys even though she never had been before.

Sam met Ann's eyes and saw that Ann had noticed too. The two raised their eyebrows at each other.

As the months went on, even the fifth grade boys were trying to get Linda's attention. The more popular sixth grade girls started talking to Linda and Sam could see small bumps on their chest this year too.

Just after they returned from Christmas break, the girls and boys split up for a week so they could attend their sex education classes. Suddenly all the teasing about sixth grade from the Ely brothers made sense to Sam.

The teachers covered everything that happened to boys' bodies during puberty. Sam tried to picture Jake this way but couldn't. Except for the new height and new deeper voice, he pretty much seemed the same as always.

Though Sam remembered times when they were together that suddenly Jake would blush for no reason or not want to do something, shooing her away from him. Could his changing body have something to do with that? Sam wondered.

The instruction about her own body made her nervous. The teachers got into more detail than Gram had and Sam's jaw had almost dropped at the explanation on where babies came from.

No!

That was even more icky to think about than Kit kissing with his tongue. Sam grew up on a ranch and knew that the animals mated, but refused to think about Dad and Mom doing that or Gram doing that and having Dad.

Sam shuddered. She would never be able to look at the Ely boys again. They were probably all doing _it_. Kit for sure since Sam knew he had girlfriends. Oh heck, they all were doing _it_, since they all had girlfriends. Jake was probably doing _it_ even though he didn't have a girlfriend. Sam had to think about that one and the answer dawned on her during one of the days of instruction.

It was just too much for Sam to take in. Since she had always hung around with the boys, she thought of the Elys, mostly Jake, when the teachers were talking about boys' bodies.

Sam vowed then she would never do anything like what the teachers were talking about with any boy! Never!


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Jake noticed that Sam glanced at him a lot out of the corners of her eyes when they were together training Blackie, riding or just goofing off. He was confused by it.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," Sam blushed scarlet, turning her face away quickly.

He was curious about the blush. Jake was still thinking about it when he rode into Three Ponies. Something was different about Sam. She rarely looked at him fully anymore, rather glancing at him when she didn't think he'd notice.

"What are you so deep in thought about, little man?" Nate asked. He had just come in from an after school activity. Nate would soon be sixteen and had his driver's permit.

"Huh?" Jake jerked his head up.

"I asked what you were thinking about," Nate said.

"Sam's acting weird," Jake dismounted and started taking the tack off of his horse.

"Weird how?" Nate wondered.

Jake told him what he had observed.

"It's like she's looking at me sometimes like she doesn't know me," Jake shrugged.

"That is weird," Nate agreed. "Has she had a bump on the head recently?"

"No," Jake shook his head, taking his tack and going into the big stone barn.

Nate waited for him by the door. Jake groomed his horse and turned him loose into the pasture. Nate waited while he worked a bit with his almost two year old filly. Jake would be getting on her back soon. Nate didn't envy his little brother. Witch had started cycling and was cantankerous when she was in season. She was living up to her name in every sense of the word, but Nate knew Jake enjoyed the challenge.

As the two fell into step going to the house, it dawned on Nate what might be going on with Sam. She was now in the sixth grade. He would bet money that she either was in or just had sex ed classes. He remembered how he had looked at all his friends of the opposite sex afterwards, trying to picture them as the teachers had described them.

Nate put his hand on Jake's arm. That's when he noticed Jake was almost as tall as he was. Gosh, when had that happened? Of course, Jake had turned thirteen in October. He wasn't a boy anymore. His little brother was becoming a man.

Jake stopped and looked at Nate, surprise on his face.

"How did you feel towards girls after you had your sex ed classes?" Nate asked Jake.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged.

"Did you look at Sam and wonder about her since now you knew about females?" Nate continued.

He saw Jake's eyes flick to his briefly before looking away again. Jake gave a very slight nod.

"I think Sam just had the classes and is wondering about the changes us guys go through," Nate told him. Jake's eyes widened.

"She's been pretty sheltered," Nate explained. "She has to wonder if you're some kind of sex deviant. She prolly doesn't have to wonder about the twins."

The two guys laughed.

"That makes sense," Jake said quietly, looking up at the house briefly.

"Just remember how confused you were," Nate reminded him. "We were all confused when we found out about the facts of life. I mean, we all grew up about breeding animals, but it can be difficult equating it to humans."

Jake nodded, rubbing the back of his neck again, remembering how weirded out he felt at knowing that his parents had sex. Now, if he allowed himself to see it, he could tell they still did. Jake tried not to think about that though.

"Thanks Nate," Jake said. "I'll try to ignore it when she looks at me like she has been."

"I think that's the best way to deal with it," Nate nodded. "Let her work it out in her head and I'm sure she'll start acting normally around you again."

Jake thanked him again and the two brothers went into the house together.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

Spring approached and Sam for one was happy the weather was breaking. As soon as the river was deemed warm enough by Jake, she would be on Blackie's back. On her own horse! For real!

Jake knew she was excited and continued to drill her with information and what to expect. She must listen to him without question or he would call it all off. Sam had tried to get stubborn on him and told him to quit bossing her around, but Jake stood firm.

Their relationship had changed a bit. Both were aware that the other was of the opposite sex and sometimes it made them uncomfortable in each others' company. Both knew why they were uneasy with the other sometimes.

Most of the time though they just fell back on what they knew. They liked each other as friends and had for about eight years. The other stuff wasn't important right now.

Jake thought that Sam still looking and acting as a young girl helped matters. She hadn't developed yet so there weren't breasts getting in the way to distract him.

While nobody would ever call Jake girl crazy, he couldn't help notice them. The girls he went to school with were developing quickly and definitely they were boy crazy. Jake might be only interested in horses right now, but he wasn't blind. He, Darrell and their small circle of friends noticed the girls in their class.

He wasn't sure they noticed him very much, but Darrell seemed popular with the girls. It more than likely had to do with his outgoing personality whereas Jake was more introverted. Jake never liked to call attention to himself though some girls took that as a challenge.

With his exotic good looks, his dark skin, dark eyes, dark hair and chiseled cheekbones he definitely was noticed by the girls. They couldn't figure out how to approach him since he seemed so shy. Boldness didn't do it. Taking a quieter approach didn't seem to work either. He was an enigma to the girls in his school.

When the school year finally ended, Sam was excited. She said goodbye to her friend Ann. Linda had moved on to another group of friends since she had developed and became one of the more popular girls. Sam was sad about losing a friend, but she was also too excited about finally getting to ride her own colt to worry about it too much. She hoped to make more friends next year when she and Ann started middle school.

Until then, she still had Jake who had been her best friend since she was four. She planned on going over to Three Ponies today and bugging Jake into letting her get started on Blackie tomorrow. She knew there was no way she could bully Jake into changing his mind, but she hoped to pester him until he did.

She laughed to herself. He was the one who had claimed to have had the dream where she was a mosquito and he was the horse. If he was going to call her a pest, she might as well be one.

Jake was waiting for her when she ran across the River Bend bridge. She skidded to a stop in surprise. She saw his white smile in his dark face and knew he was enjoying her surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked as she came closer.

"Guess I'll leave," Jake shrugged, but Sam saw the humor in his eyes.

"How'd you get here so fast?"

"Guess I'm speedy," Jake shrugged again. Sam slugged him.

"Not very nice to hit the person you need something from," Jake warned her, his dark eyes dancing with mischief.

"What would I need from you?" Sam put her hands on her hips.

"You're going to lose that pink backpack when you start middle school, right?" Jake grimaced.

"Did Quinn tell you to say that?" Sam retorted.

"Nah, I can see how bright it is all on my own," Jake grinned.

"I like my pink backpack," Sam told him.

"No kidding?" Jake asked with a laugh.

"Why are you here, anyway?" Sam snapped.

"Gee Brat, I thought maybe you'd want to take your horse down to the river," Jake tried to sound nonchalant.

"What?" Sam yelped. "Are you serious?"

Jake gave her a look.

Sam gave a whoop and started dancing around her friend. She grabbed his arm as she jumped up and down. Jake shook her off. Sam grabbed him again not caring that Jake was starting to look annoyed.

"Buzz, buzz," Jake muttered under his breath.

"Oh go neigh yourself," Sam snapped right back at him. Jake's jaw dropped and the two of them started laughing.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

"Will you concentrate?" Jake's voice came to Sam.

"I am concentrating," Sam answered. "What more do you want me to do?"

The two of them had taken Blackie down to the river one hot summer day.

"I want you to concentrate," Jake said.

"I. Am. Concentrating," Sam responded. Blackie nudged her back and Sam fell face first into the river.

Jake snorted and grabbed the lead rope to keep the colt close by. Sam surfaced and spit water out at Jake.

"Not wise, Brat," Jake gave her a look. "He's nervous enough without you playing around"

Sam sighed. Then she nodded. "I'm sorry."

Jake gave her a nod. "Climb up."

"Really?" Sam looked like she was afraid he'd tell her that he was just kidding.

Jake raised an eyebrow. Then he cupped her knee and she was up on her very own colt's back.

"Stop smilin'," Jake told her with a smile.

"I will if you will," Sam retorted. Jake chuckled, then tapped Blackie's nose when he tried to bite Jake.

"Don't hit him," Sam said.

"I didn't hit him," Jake responded. "I simply let him know I'm not tolerating his nipping."

"He doesn't nip me," Sam told him.

"Yet," Jake murmured.

"He just likes me better," Sam crowed.

Jake didn't doubt it. Sometimes he thought that Blackie saw him as a threat or as competition. Competition for what, Jake didn't know. He wasn't sure if it was a stallion thing or what. Jake didn't know if stallions viewed other males as competition when there were females around, even if they were human females. It was something he needed to talk to Grandfather about.

Jake passed Sam the lead rope and Sam squeezed her legs slightly and Blackie stepped forward. Jake stayed abreast of them in the water as Blackie walked.

"You're blindin' me here, Brat," Jake teased.

"Put on sunglasses," Sam told him, still smiling.

Jake chuckled.

"Okay, turn him around and stop over there," Jake instructed.

Sam gave a nod and Jake stepped back, letting her work the horse a bit on her own. She turned him expertly, Blackie responding to her light touch.

Jake saw the glint in Blackie's eye as the horse looked at him as he turned. The colt definitely saw Jake as a threat or simply disliked him.

"Good goin', Sam," Jake reached out to pat her leg and dodged a nip from Blackie.

"No Blackie," Sam told the horse. "Jake's my friend."

"He doesn't understand that, Brat," Jake reminded her.

"Yes, he does," Sam disagreed. "Somehow he does or needs to."

"Go ahead and get down," Jake said to her. "You did good today."

Sam gave him a bright smile and Jake returned it.

"Thanks Jake," Sam threw her arms around him, surprising him.

"For what?" Jake wondered, stepping out of her hug.

"Helping me today and being my best friend," Sam responded.

"I'm your best friend?" Jake teased. "What makes you think I'm your friend?"

Sam giggled and hit him. Blackie snorted in Jake's direction, rolling one of his eyes at him.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

"Grandfather," Jake smiled as he rode into Three Ponies. "I was going to call you later."

"I saved you a call," Jake's grandfather Mac smiled back at his grandson. "I came to talk with Nate about his manhood initiation and your mother graciously invited me to dinner."

"Invited you?" Jake dismounted from his horse.

Mac shrugged, a smile still on his face. "I may have invited myself."

Jake chuckled.

"What were you going to call me about?" Mac asked. He noted Jake's sudden frown.

Mac didn't say anything as Jake took the tack off his horse, groomed it and then let the horse out into the large pasture. Mac leaned against the pasture fence, watching the horses within.

"Your filly is filling out nicely," Mac mused.

"Yes she is," Jake agreed. "She's been a breeze to train. She's very responsive to me. I may have to ask her twice when she's cycling, but that's usually the only time."

"She trusts you," Mac said. "She knows you would never ask of her something she could not do."

Jake nodded.

"What is troubling you, Jacob," Mac finally asked.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck.

"Is it possible for a stud colt to dislike someone because of jealousy?" Jake asked.

"Jealousy over who?" Mac wondered.

"His owner who is female," Jake clarified.

"Ah," Mac nodded. "Who can understand the mind of a stallion?" Mac shrugged. "They are a different beast all together."

Jake nodded, looking out over the pasture.

"Is this Samantha's stud colt?" Mac asked.

Jake glanced at his grandfather and reluctantly nodded.

"Has she begun her menses?" Mac wondered. Jake colored.

"I don't know," he croaked out.

"If she has, that might be part of it," Mac explained why he had asked. "She's just twelve so it's doubtful, though soon. Maybe the horse feels threatened because of your feelings for Samantha."

"Because she's my friend?" Jake croaked out again.

Mac gave his grandson a penetrating stare. Jake tried not to squirm.

"You two have been friends for a long time," Mac said. "Maybe the horse feels threatened by that. You two are very close."

"Not as much as we were," Jake argued.

"Oh Jacob," Mac chuckled.

Jake colored again and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't see the slight smile on Mac's full lips.

"To answer your question, yes the stud colt could see you as a threat," Mac went on. "He could feel possessive of Samantha, sort of like she's one of his herd mares. Since you too are male, he might try and challenge you."

"I told her that I think she should geld him," Jake looked over at Mac.

Mac nodded. "Young girls see stallions as a romantic figure." Mac shrugged again.

Jake nodded this time. He understood what Mac was saying. He could see it himself sometimes in Sam.

"What can I do?" Jake asked.

"Be careful," Mac answered. "Do not turn your back on the stud colt. Ever. If he indeed sees you as a threat to Samantha's affections, he could try and savage you."

"I won't," Jake promised.

"So how is Samantha," Mac asked.

"Fine," Jake shrugged.

He saw the slight twitch of his Grandfather's lips. Jake didn't dare comment on it. He didn't want to open that door. He didn't dare open that door.

Jake was not quite fourteen and wasn't ready.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

"Let's take him out a bit further today," Jake said to Sam.

"Are you sure he's ready?" Sam asked.

"You've been riding him in the river, in the pen and around the yard," Jake told her. "He's done well so far."

"Okay," Sam said. "Where are we going?"

"How about up the ridge?" Jake suggested.

Sam looked up that way and then back at Jake.

"Are you sure I'm ready for that?" Sam wondered. "I'm not that experienced bareback."

"It's up to you," Jake shrugged, swinging up on his horse.

"Let's try it," Sam said and Jake nodded.

"You go ahead and take him through the gates first," Jake told her.

Blackie danced under her, feeling her tension. She glanced at Jake, but he didn't say anything to her.

Sam rode her colt to the first gate. She opened it and rode through, waiting for Jake to come through behind her. Once he did, she closed the gate behind her and rode Blackie to the next one.

Blackie shied as a piece of paper blew by on the wind. Sam grabbed his mane and hung on.

"Jake?" Sam yelled, seeing that Blackie was becoming more nervous.

Jake turned to look at her, impatience on his face.

"Forget it," Sam shook her head, going to the next gate and repeating the process.

They were almost to the last one, miles from River Bend when Blackie started sweating and snorting under Sam.

"Jake's he's too scared," Sam yelled at her friend.

"He's too scared or are you too scared?" Jake challenged.

"You take that back," Sam shouted at him, twisting around to look at Jake.

"Just keep going you big baby," Jake said, motioning her to go forward.

Sam yanked on the next gate to open it and the wind grabbed it, slamming all the way open before starting to swing shut. Sam couldn't grab it and the gate hit Blackie in the flank. He jumped to the side, Sam starting to slide off his back. Sam lost her reins and grabbed onto his full black mane.

She righted herself and reached for the reins. Sam was worried that Blackie would step on them and hurt himself.

Blackie saw her arm and shied away from it. Sam had no chance on keeping her seat upon his back and slid off.

Jake watched it all as if it were happening in slow motion. Even though it seemed so slow, he had no chance on getting to Sam before she hit the ground.

"No!" Jake yelled, feeling totally helpless as one of Blackie's back hooves grazed Sam's head.

Blackie took off and Jake didn't give another thought to the horse.

Jake was off his horse and at Sam's side as quickly as he could be. As he slid to his knees beside her, he was afraid to touch her in case she was badly hurt.

"Sam?" Jake's voice squeaked out her name. "Oh Brat, please wake up!"

He touched her head and his hand came back full of blood. Oh gosh, oh gosh! His best friend was bleeding to death in front of him and it was all his fault.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

"Jake, they won't let you in the hospital," Maxine put her arm around her son.

"Mom," Jake almost whined. "I need to see her."

"Honey, you'll have to wait until she comes home," Maxine said. "It's against the rules of the hospital. No one under the age of sixteen is allowed."

Jake wanted to put his hand through the nearest wall. Nobody was taking him seriously. Couldn't they understand how he felt? That it was his fault and he had to see her and make sure she was all right?

The only thing Jake knew is that Sam was unconscious and had been unconscious since the accident. Blackie's hoof had cracked Sam's skull. The colt hadn't been seen since and Jake was too upset about Sam to even try and track him.

Jake went out of his house out to the pasture. Witch stood at the pasture gate and nickered to him. He went to her and she nudged him with her nose.

He rubbed her absently, his mind still on his best friend. Jake felt so guilty, so responsible. If he hadn't pushed her, hadn't yelled at her, she would be okay. It was all his fault and he knew he would blame himself for the rest of his life.

Jake wasn't sure what he was feeling and he couldn't stop and analyze it. All he knew is that his best friend was lying in a hospital bed unconscious and he had done it to her.

"Oh my gosh," Jake's voice cracked as everything overwhelmed him.

He might have killed his best friend. Jake couldn't think of his life without Sam in it. He didn't want to.

She meant so much to him. No, he couldn't go there in his mind until he knew she was going to be okay. As much as he fought it, it pushed through.

Jake loved her. He wasn't sure if it were the type of love of a man and a woman, since he hadn't ever experienced it, but if it weren't it was very close.

They had grown up together. She meant so much to him. When had it changed?

Jake wasn't sure. All he knew is that it had. Everything was suddenly clear to him. All the jokes and snide comments from his brothers, the smug smiles from his mother; they had all known or guessed yet he had been blind.

So blind.

Why had it taken an accident for him to realize all this?

For two long weeks, Jake agonized as his friend lay unconscious. Finally, his mother told him that Sam had regained consciousness. She still wasn't out of the woods, but the doctors were encouraged.

"When will she come home?" Jake asked Maxine.

"I'm not sure, honey," Maxine murmured.

Jake saw something in her eyes.

"What is it Mom?"

"Oh Jake," Maxine sighed and the hair on the back of Jake's neck stood up. "She's not coming home."

"What!" Jake yelped.

Maxine shook her head. "They're sending her to San Francisco to live with her aunt so she'll be closer to hospitals in case she suffers a relapse."

"For how long?" Jake felt his knees start to give out.

"Maybe forever," Maxine told her son, watching as his face fell for a second before he regained control. Her poor son wasn't even fourteen and already having his heart broken. Maxine worried what this would do to him.

Jake fell backwards, grabbing the wall for support.

"Jake!" Maxine reached out to him, but he avoided her. He reeled with the news she had given him.

"Can't I see her?" Jake pleaded and Maxine's heart broke along with her son's.

"She's leaving tonight," Maxine hated to tell him.

"Tonight," he whispered to himself so softly that Maxine barely heard the words.

His dark brown eyes were huge in his face as he stared at her. Jake heard a roaring in his head as he took in the news. He felt it bubbling up in him and knew it would kill him if he didn't get it out.

Jake was inconsolable. He stumbled towards his room, hurrying down the hallway. His breathing was loud in his ears as he went. He didn't see his brothers watching him, he didn't see his mother's look of concern. Jake just had to get to his room so he could be alone.

He slammed the door behind him and fell upon his bed. Then Jake did something he hadn't done since he was five. He cried.

© 2008 – LB

Characters © - Terri Farley


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